Ruby's Lore
by ShadowedCalling
Summary: The winds of destiny blow everyone to their fate, and where they need to be to face their destiny. These winds blow Ruby Rose much further from her roots than most, and to a destiny much grander than any ever expected from her. Endless adventures and threats call to her from the Land Of Rising Evil, and the red clad hero answers their challenge.
1. Chapter One V2: A Prologue

**AN: Greetings citizens of FanFiction, I welcome you to my virgin voyage into the seas of writing on this site. Or it would be, if this wasn't an updated version of Chapter One.**

 **That's right, I welcome you readers, new and old, to the revision of Chapter One. No one told me it needed revision, but to be frank, it NEEDED revision. A lot of it. I feel kinda sick looking back at it, actually. Though that may just be me still being sick. Because of this, any revised chapters will be denoted by the addition of "V _n_ " to their name, the _n_ standing for whichever version it is. For instance, this chapter is "V2" or the second version, first revision. I probably won't need any V3s, I'm happy with these revisions so far, but hey, planning ahead is important.**

 **Anyway, for those wondering, I don't have an update schedule, but I do make an attempt to update once a week, every other week is too much work is dumped on me at once.**

 **I ask that you all to review this chapter. I don't get much criticism and criticism is exactly what I need. I'm here to not just enjoy myself, but to improve as well.**

 **Well, I hope y'all enjoy, and if you do, then consider staying for the ride!**

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 **[ _IMPORTANT NOTE_ ]**

 **These first ten chapters follow a young Ruby Rose settling into her new life, the true story starts on Chapter Eleven. While I wouldn't suggest skipping these first chapters, they set up a few of the workings of Lore, as well as the kinds of people Ruby is raised by and around, and as such how she will likely develop, if you aren't interested in something that lacks all that much story importance, then feel free to skip ahead. Though at least finish Chapter One, this chapter will have significance for certain story aspects in the future.**

* * *

Chapter One V2

The shadows steadily grew longer as a small figure, pulling a little red wagon, trekked through the depths of a forest. The small, tired child looked back at the sleeping child she had bundled up in the wagon, a fond smile on her face.

"Don't worry, Ruby, we'll have a new mom soon, then we won't be alone anymore."

The blonde girl continued on into the forest, her small wagon quietly squeaking as she went. The young girl failed to notice the darkness that crept through the shadows. The eyes that watched the two children, gleaming with an unnatural malevolence.

The young blonde continued on, unaware of the stalking predator, or any of the other dangers within the forest who began to take notice of their presence. She continued on, unaware of the soul who desperately tried to track them, or the calm being who watched them with almost clinical interest, examining and judging the youths from beyond their sight.

None of her audience drew the blonde's attention, allowing her to continue on, to approach the small, rundown cabin that now stood before her, its ominous shadows beckoning her with promises of a mother she never knew.

As she slowly walked across the clearing, taking in the sight of what she hoped was the key to a better, happier life for both herself and her sister. However, as she reached the halfway point, she froze. A primal fear overtook her body as her lilac eyes met the glowing red orbs that opened within the darkness of the cabin.

Large, black wolves covered in bony, white plating stalked out from within the shadows. Glowing crimson eyes glared at the two, nothing but malevolence bleeding from them, and nothing else. No intelligence, animalistic or otherwise. No hate, no desire, no hunger. Nothing but empty, all consuming malevolence.

The blonde stumbled backwards as they approached, horror dawning on her face as she realized the danger she was in. The danger her sister was in. The danger _she_ dragged her sister into. In a burst of desperation, she leapt backwards, swinging down to wake her sister.

The blonde shook her sister, jarring the young redhead awake. The redhead's tired, glazed eyes looked at the frightened blonde, "Yang," she questioned, "What's going on?"

Yang's attempted answer was cut off by a loud howl from behind her. The blonde and the redhead swung their heads around to see the wolves preparing to pounce on the youths, claws ready to rend flesh and jaws ready to crush bone.

Ruby let out a horrified shriek as she fully awoke and realized the situation she and her sister were in. The redhead clutched the red cloak she had been using as a blanket in fear as she saw the large, predatory beasts coming to end her life.

Before she could do anything, Yang reached over and grabbed Ruby, and used all of her strength to lob the younger girl away from the wagon. As she did so, Yang yelled, "Run! I-I can hold 'em! Just get outta here!"

Yang swung around to meet the wolves, small fist cocked and ready to impact one of the bipedal canines, and was promptly swiped out of the way by a large, black paw. Long tears appeared on her skin as she was thrown across the clearing, a loud scream of pain ripping from her lungs as the beast launched her.

Ruby screamed her sister's name, watching in horror as she was thrown by the beast. She watched in horror as most of the beasts leapt to quite literally dogpile and kill the blonde, and were promptly cut down by a large, black scythe.

Ruby and the injured Yang watched in amazement as a large, rough looking man with messy black hair and soft red eyes easily cut down the Beowolves that were lunging for the blonde. His large black scythe easily cutting through the monsters and bisecting them in midair. He glanced back at the downed girl and said, "Don't worry, your Uncle Qrow is here, he'll protect you."

He spun around to assist his younger, redheaded niece and felt his blood run cold. Standing behind her was the large predator that had been stalking the girls since they entered the woods, a large Alpha-Beowolf, its superiority to its lesser kin denoted by it being far large than the smaller monsters, covered in larger, stronger plates, and of course its eyes. It's eyes that were filled not by an empty malevolence, but by a cruel intelligence.

Said cruel intelligence was focused on the the panicked redhead, who slowly turned around to see what had frightened her uncle. Wide silver eyes met the glowing red eyes of the predator. They stood like that for a second, just staring at each other, examining each other, before the Beowolf snorted in what almost seemed like disdain.

Faster than Qrow could react, a large black paw slammed into Ruby's chest, resulting in a loud crack filling the clearing. Ruby's shout of pain was snuffed by her inability to gather enough air in her lungs, her chest screaming in pain anytime she tried to inhale. She sailed across the clearing, crashing into a tree and collapsing to the ground.

Qrow lunged at the Alpha, preparing to strike it down for attacking his niece. The bipedal wolf predicted his enraged attack and dived out of the way, quickly making its way towards the downed the redhead. It dodged everything Qrow threw at it, and leapt over a slash to its legs. It bent down and grabbed the redhead by the face in its large, almost hand-like paw.

It held the barely conscious girl up like a trophy, letting her dangle between it and the enraged scythe wielder. Pained silver eyes looked out from between hairy fingers, her mouth slightly opened and she gasped out a quiet, "Uncle Qrow, help me," at the scythe wielder.

He paused as he tried to figure out how he could save his niece without her getting anymore hurt. Meanwhile, the Alpha had a similar train of thought, only in regards to itself escaping. That's when its animalistic senses picked up rustling behind it. A quick glance revealed one of its lesser kin, having been attracted by the sounds and negative emotions that filled the clearing.

Had the Alpha been able to feel happiness, cruel or otherwise, it would have grinned at the sight as an idea formed. Its claw tightened around the girl's head, nails digging into the soft flesh of cheeks. Its muscles tensed as the hunter's eyes narrowed, locking onto the girl. The Alpha then spun on its foot, launching the girl towards the smaller Beowolf, who opened its dark maw to catch its young prey.

Before Qrow could rush forward and cut down the younger canine, the Alpha clotheslined him with its hairy forearm, slamming the black haired man into the ground. Qrow's vision was abruptly filled with stars as his head hit the forest floor and jarred his brain.

Ruby could only scream in fear as she soared towards small, black beast. As she approached the gaping jaws, the girl's final watcher decided to make a move.

Ruby's vision was fading, the pain and fear finally taking their toll on the girl's mind. As she began to fade from consciousness, she watched as the dark jaws of the Beowolf were overtaken by an even larger, shadowy maw. She felt herself easily enter the massive, gaping mouth.

She felt herself falling, seemingly endlessly. She buffeted by cold winds as what appeared to be dark clouds swirled around her. Her descent through the darkness was ended by a bright light, a flash of green, and a dull impact. Then, her whole world finally darkened into nothingness.

* * *

A beaten up Qrow ran to where the Alpha had thrown his niece, desperately praying to any god who might listen that Ruby would still be alive, still be there. He finally broke through the underbrush, and felt his heart stop. Gone was his niece, all that was left where she had been thrown was a torn up red cloak, and a dissolving Grimm corpse.

When Qrow returned, the only answer Yang got to her question of where Ruby was a choked sob and tattered cloak.

* * *

 **Meh, scene break**

* * *

Within a forest, perched atop a tall cliff, was a bustling fortress built around a towering oak tree. This fortress was still under construction, as shown by the scaffolding and piles of masonry surrounding the structure.

Despite still being under construction, armoured figures strolled around the place, most armed with simple longswords or greatswords. Amongst the various adults several younger men through the area, doing various jobs and chores.

Eventually, all of the young men gathered around a taller man whose armour was gilded and covered in medals. "Alright squires," the man's deep baritone effortlessly cut through the hustle and bustle of the keep, "now that your basic chores have been completed, you can receive your duties for the day." The man pulled out a piece of paper with the various jobs written on it. "When you get your duties for the day, do them without complaint, even if you're cleaning the latrines again," he gave two young of the boys a sharp glare, "You are all training to be knights, not limp wristed nobles."

He read off the various duties, ignoring the childish shouts of success or defeat depending on their assignments. He continued on until he reached the name of a certain blonde. "Rolith," he said, meeting the young man's olive green eyes, "You've been doing well as of late, so you've been promoted to bandit patrol. Suit up and prepare to head out."

The blonde's eyes widened in shock, before narrowing in determination. He gave the man a salute and said, "Yes sir, Sir Perior!"

As he walked away, Sir Perior had to hide his fond smile as the blonde squire 'whooped' happily and bragged to his fellow squires about getting a new position.

* * *

Rolith couldn't keep the cocky grin off his face as he bragged to his fellow squires, "Heh, looks like I'm finally moving up in the world."

The redheaded young man who stood next to him rolled his eyes, "Yes Rolith, congrats. I'm certain you'll be very impressive when you swing your weapon around like a stupid beast."

One of the other squires cackled, "Awwww, you sound jealous Junn. You wanna just go back and read your medical books like the nerd you are?"

The now named Junn rolled his eyes, "Yes Prize, I do. Just like you probably would like to do anything but the latrines. But hey, not all of us can be competent."

Prize flinched back, "Hey! Cuss is doing them with me you know!"

Cuss crossed his arms and shot a death glare at his back, "And you'll probably try to get me alone in them again," he muttered, "But not this time. You'll be at the bottom of the hill covered in the latrine's contents this time. Just you wait."

Another squire walked up to them, "Come on guys, you argue later. Besides, if you want better jobs, then a new spot on the scout team. Me and Vivor need a third guy."

Vivor nodded, "Valance is right, you just need to work harder."

Another squire rolled his eyes and said, " _Ooooh yeah, I'm certain aaany of these guys could do that._ "

Valance glared at him, "Be be an ass, Casm."

Casm simply rolled his eyes and gave a half-hearted 'Whatever.'

The group of squires continued their somewhat friendly banter as they went and gathered their items for the duties they've been assigned.

Rolith pulled his squire armour on, and grabbed his mace from the supplies. "Well, I'm about to head out. Good luck guys."

The other squires all returned his well-wishes as he prepared to head out. With his armor on and his mace ready, Rolith made his way towards the South-Western dirt road out of the keep.

* * *

Rolith carefully walked down the dirt road, mace at the ready. He eyed one of the forest's many residents, a small greyish-brown wolf, that was snarling at him. Rolith waited for the small pack animal to either attack or flee, and swung his mace the moment it pounced.

The precise strike slammed into the beast's head, throwing a foot to the side and dazing the creature. Rolith quickly followed up with a heavy blow to the top of the wolf's head, knocking it out.

With the small animal out of the way, Rolith continued on with his patrol, keeping his eyes open for any sign of the forest's resident bandits. His eyes cautiously searched every shadow for hidden thugs, searched the leaves for traps, and listened for foot falls or other sounds of human life.

Despite his careful search, Rolth cleared the South-Western treeline without running into anything other a few other wolves. He saw neither hide nor hair of the bandits he had been tasked with patrolling for.

Rolith stretched out his arms, letting the noon sun warm his body after walking through the cool air of the forest. Looking around, Rolith picked out a small shape lying near the cliff's edge. Rolith hoisted his mace and cautiously moved to check what it was, eyes peeled for a possible ambush.

Rolith's guard dropped, along with his mace, when he saw the identity of the small figure on the cliffside, a young redheaded girl. Rolith dropped down to examine the small form, trying to figure out what her condition was.

The first thing Rolith noticed was that she was bleeding. Several shallow gashes marred her face, blood lightly running down her cheeks. A small amount of blood was also leaking out of her mouth. Rolith carefully brought a hand to the small girl's wrist, holding his breath in anticipation. Rolith let out a sigh of relief at the small but steady pulse that made itself apparent to the young squire.

Having confirmed that the girl was alive, Rolith stood up, sweeping his eyes around the cliffside, hoping to find a sign as to who or what was responsible for the girl's current condition, and where she she may have come from.

When his brief sweep revealed nothing, he gently crouched back down, and tried to scoop the girl's body up to bring her back to the keep. However, he pulled back when a pained gasp erupted from her mouth.

His worried olive-green eyes met a pair of hazy, silver eyes that stared up at him. They were clouded with pain and sleep, and highly unfocused. Her eyes trailed to his short blonde hair, and she mumbled a questioning "Dad?"

Rolith shook his head, "Sorry, I'm not your father." When the girl's face became distressed at his words, Rolith continued, "My name's Rolith, what's your's?"

The small girl's eyes focused a bit, finally finding their way to his eyes, "I'm, Ruby," she mumbled, before coughing. As she coughed, she winced in pain, bringing her hand up to her chest. When she did so, the redhead yelped in pain, and winced even more when she did.

Rolith, noticing her pain, grew concerned. Noting that she flinched whenever her chest moved, he asked, "Does your chest hurt?" At her pained nod, Rolith carefully poked one of her ribs. He quietly cursed when he felt the bone slightly shift under his touch, as well as Ruby's shout of pain when he did so.

Rolith placed his hand on Ruby's head and said, "Alright Ruby, I'm gonna need you to be strong for a second. I'm gonna pick you up, and it may hurt your chest. Can you handle it?"

Ruby was in too tired and pained to really think, and just gave him a slow nod. She sharply inhaled, but didn't shout out when she felt Rolith's hands slide under her upper back and under her knees, allowing him to lift her in a princess carry.

Rolith stood up to his full height, the small form of Ruby in his arms. He began walking back the way he did, entering the treeline and starting on the road to the keep. He looked down at his diminutive passenger, who was breathing shallowly and had her eyes clenched in pain.

"Don't worry, Ruby," Rolith said, attracting the girl's attention, "Once I get you back to the keep, our medics can fix you up."


	2. Chapter Two V2

**AN: Hello again, and welcome back to Ruby's Lore. This is the rewrite of Chapter Two, which was posted alongside the one for chapter one. Everything said in the first AN still stands. Tell me your thoughts, how you think things could be improved, things I could improve in my writing, all that jazz.**

 **Also, you would not believe how hard it is to reverse-butterfly effect a story. It's taking a lot more time than I expected to fix events to match my revisions, without making things go too differently/**

 **Enjoy.**

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Chapter Two V2

About an hour after he had set out from the cliffside, Rolith arrived at the clearing that held the partially completed keep. The knights stationed outside of the the keep's gates startled when they saw Rolith, "Hey, aren't you back from patrol a bit early?"

Rolith gestured his head to the now-sleeping and still bleeding Ruby "I found her out by the cliff, she needs medical attention." As they opened the doors for him, Rolith said, "You guys may want set up a search party, I don't think a little kid like her could have made her way out the cliff alone." The two guards nodded in agreement before one of them broke away from his post and moved to inform Sir Perior.

Rolith carefully made his way to the medbay, making sure not to jostle the sleeping redhead he carried through the halls, weaving in between knights who watched as they passed by.

Rolith kicked open the door to the medbay, being unable to use his hands at the moment, and instantly attracted the ire of the room's only current resident. The keep's medic, an older woman with a heavily lined face and greying dark green hair, swooped down on him, a glower firmly on her face.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Her voice seethed with anger, "What if someone had been recovering in here? What if you'd disrupted something? What if someone had died!?"

Ruby groaned as the woman's shout woke her from her slumber, her groan attracting the attention of the elderly medic. The woman's eyes locked onto the small child in Rolith's arms.

Rolith jumped out of the way, making Ruby yelp as she was jostled around, as the medic's arms swooped down to grab the girl. "Why did you move," she spat, "That girl needs medical attention!"

"I know," he grumbled, "Her ribs are broken, that's why I'm not about to let you manhandle the kid." He gently set Ruby down on one of the cots, watching as she winced at the movement. "She's also rather cut up."

The medic huffed in disdain, "I'm old, not blind. I can see that quite easily." She pushed Rolith out of the way and began examining Ruby, much to her discomfort. She flinched and yelped several times as the woman poked and prodded her broken ribs, trying to find the fractures.

She finally 'hmmed' and straightened up. She walked over to a large cabinet and pulled out a bottle of liquid. She poured some into a bowl and mixed it with some honey before returning to Ruby and handing her the bowl. "Eat," the older woman commanded while forcing a spoon into her hand.

Ruby looked nervously over to Rolith, who shrugged before nodding encouragingly. Ruby nervously began spooning the mixture into her mouth, grimacing at the odd taste. Any attempt she made to complain got her little more than a glare and the comment, "I already sweetened it for you, don't whine." When she finally finished, Ruby felt her whole body grow heavy.

She slumped over and groaned, "W-what was that?"

The elderly medic pulled on a pair of long, white gloves. "Anaesthetic. Don't worry, you probably won't feel a thing." The medic ushered a concerned Rolith out of the room before approaching Ruby, whose unfocused silver eyes were trying to track her figure.

"Don't worry, I'll have you ribs back in order soon enough."

Ruby would have passed out from the drug had the pain from having a rib snapped back into place not beaten it to the punch.

* * *

Rolith waved Sir Perior over when he saw the approaching knight captain, though wavered when he saw the stern look on his face. The man seemed to tower over Rolith as he finally reached Rolith's position by the entrance to the medbay. Sir Perior looked down at Rolith and said, "Tell me, do you know what you did today?"

Rolith could feel sweat beginning to form of his forehead, "Er, well, I went on patrol, I moved down the road, I reached the cliff, found Ruby, that's the girl's name, brought her back to the keep, and delivered her to the medbay, sir."

Sir Perior continued to look down at Rolith, "and do you know what I'm going to say about that?" Rolith looked down solemnly, preparing himself for the incoming scolding. He flinched as a large armoured hand clapped down on his shoulder, "Good job, Rolith."

"Sir," Rolith asked, looking at him in surprise, "I thought I was in trouble."

Sir Perior laughed and slapped him on the back, "What would you be in trouble for? You saved a young girl, brought her back safely, and alerted your fellows to a possibility of other wounded people nearby. Far as I can tell, you did everything correctly."

Rolith glowed at his praise, "Thanks."

The knight captain nodded, "Now let's check up on our young guest. I've already sent out several search parties to find anyone who may have been with her when she got injured."

With his piece said, Sir Perior threw open the door to the medbay, and was instantly set upon by the elderly medic. "What do you think you're doing!?" The medic's screech caused the knight captain to jump backwards in shock. He cowered in the face of the enraged medic as she glared at him.

"Perry! How many times have I told you to knock before entering the medbay!? Or to enter quietly!?"

Perior pulled a disgruntled face at her words, "Hey! How many times have I told you not to call me Perry!? Besides, as Knight Captain of Oaklore Keep, it's MY job to check on the girl Rolith brought in." Perior's mouth turned up in a confident grin, "As such, I can enter whenever and however I want."

The elderly medic simply grumbled something about 'ungrateful brats with too much authority' and went back sorting through several sheets of paper regarding the keep's medicinal needs. "Fine, check on the kid. But just know that if she wakes up, you're the ones who will have to deal with whatever problems she has."

With the irate medic off of their case, Sir Perior and Rolith made their way over to the cot that Ruby was resting in. The girl had long since passed out, the anaesthetic and physical stress from having ribs roughly snapped back into place.

Her face had several small bandages wrapped around it to cover up the small, claw like scrapes that had marred it. Her entire midriff was wrapped in bandages, which were bound tightly enough to hold her ribs in place without being so tight that they'd be pushed inward to her lungs. Despite her injuries, the small redhead's face was peaceful, the veil of sleep numbing any pain she may still be feeling.

Sir Perior looked down at the small, sleeping form, and did the only thing he could think of in his current situation. He poked his finger into her cheek, causing some of the bandaged baby fat to push up squint her eye.

When she didn't respond he did it again. And again. And again. And about thirty more times for good measure.

"Uhh, Sir, should you really be doing that?" Rolith's question caused his captain to look at him, despite his hand still absently poking the girl's cheek.

"Of course, Rolith. You see, lad, when waking a wounded individual, you can not do anything forceful or jarring, as that may result in sudden movements that aggravate their injuries. As such, it is best to wake them like this, with steady, repeated, but gentle face poking. You understand?"

Rolith nodded, a serious look on his face, "Yes sir, I think I understand." Rolith poked Ruby in the face, eliciting a small groan from the sleeping child, "I just do that, right?"

"Yep," another poke, "Just like that."

The elderly medic just grumbled something about idiots and continued ignoring the people who had invaded her domain.

Eventually, the two's not-so-aggressive poking payed off, and a pair of silver eyes blearily opened to look at the people who had disrupted her slumber. As the redhead slowly awoke, Perior pushed Rolith in the direction of the medic, getting a nod of understanding in response.

While Rolith went over to see if there was any medical attention Ruby would need now that she was awake, Perior crouched down to be eye level with the injured child. Giving her a calming smile when he saw her start to grow concerned he gently held out a large armoured hand and said "Hello, my name is Perior, what's your's?"

The redhead looked at him and slowly said, "My name is Ruby. Where am I?"

Perior pulled a small wooden chair over to the cot's side and sat down in it, "You're currently in Oaklore Keep. One of my trainees, a lad named Rolith, found you injured in the Forest and brought you here."

"The... forest?" Ruby's questioning murmur was directed more at herself than the large man who sat beside her.

"Yep, the forest. Mind telling me why a young child like yourself would have been out there? The forest is largely peaceful, but predators and bandits do still wander its depths you know."

The redhead screwed up her face in thought, mumbling to herself "Why was I in the forest?" Slowly, bits and pieces came back to her, the trees slowly moving past, the squeaks of a small wagon, her sister pulling said wagon along as they moved deeper into the forest, an old, rundown cabin, the Grimm, her Uncle Qrow coming to their rescue, and then...

And then what?

Try as she might, Ruby couldn't remember what happened after her Uncle Qrow flew in, looking really cool, and killed the Grimm that were near her sister. She could remember everything before hand. She could remember everything that happened during it, all the way down to just how amazing and cool he looked as he easily swung the black piece of metal around, but after that was just darkness and flashes of eerie red.

She looked up at the tall, armoured man who was waiting patiently for her answer, a look of friendly concern on his face. Despite this, his massive frame made her uncomfortable and she quickly found herself looking away as she tried her best to answer.

"Umm, well. Me and my big sister, Yang, were in the woods. I'm not sure, but I think Yang said that we were looking for Mom."

"Your mom," Perior asked, "Why would you two need to find her?"

Ruby shrugged, "Dunno, mom's a huntress, so she leaves sometimes. She hasn't come back yet, and Dad's been really tired lately, so I think Yang just wanted to find her."

Perior paused at her comment, the gears in his head turning, "A huntress you say, so she hunts animals?"

Ruby nodded, "Mhm! Monsters too!" Ruby grinned widely, "She's so cool, like hero or somethin!"

Perior smiled, though it was somewhat strained, "Any idea why she'd come back late?"

Ruby frowned and shook her head. "No, anytime I asked Dad he said she was coming back soon, then after some weird guys stopped by the house and just didn't answer me after that."

Perior's frown deepened, "I see. So, back to the forest, what happened when you and this, 'Yang' I think you said, went into the woods?"

Ruby pulled a thoughtful face, "Well, Yang said that we were gonna find Mom, so she put me in our wagon along with the cloak Mom gave me." Ruby thought for a moment before continuing "I napped for a while, and woke up when we found an old cabin."

"Did something happen at this cabin," Perior asked, noticing Ruby's discomfort when she brought up the location.

Ruby nodded slowly, "Y-yeah, Yang and I were attacked by Grimm."

Perior narrowed his eyes, "Grimm? What exactly is a Grimm?"

Ruby gave him a confused look, "Whatya mean? They're the big, black, masked monsters that attack people. Mom hunts them all the time."

Perior hummed thoughtfully, "And what did these 'Grimm' look like?"

"They look like wolves, but standing up. They're black and have weird white masks and red eyes." Ruby's description, while succinct, was enough to unsettle Perior.

"By 'standing up,' did you mean like a human would?" At Ruby's nod, Perior paled. He stood up abruptly and said, "I apologize, but there is work I need to get back to. I'll be sending someone over to get descriptions of your family members so that we can more easily find them, okay?" At Ruby's confused nod he said, "Good, if you need anything, just ask Doctor Pepper over there, she's old and mean though, or Rolith, he's the blonde."

Perior then turned to Rolith, "Keep an eye on her, she'll be your responsibility until we can reunite her with her family. Oh yeah, and see if there's anything else in her story, I'd hear the rest now, but this is too important." Once Rolith nodded in confirmation, Perior left the medbay, face set in a grim line. As he left, Rolith just barely made out the words, "If there's really werewolves near the Keep, things may wind up being far more dangerous than I thought."

* * *

Rolith was about to walk over to Ruby's cot when the fiery Doctor Pepper pushed him out of the way and approached the redhead. She looked down at the nervous child and pushed a glass bottle filled with a thick, red liquid into her hands.

"Since you're awake now, drink this. It'll help put your ribs back together."

While Ruby nodded blankly, not really understanding how it would help, but assuming it was like other medicines. "Speaking of," Rolith said, sliding into the chair Sir Perior had abandoned "How did you break your ribs anyway?"

Ruby tilted her head and asked, "Umm, who are you again? You look kinda familiar."

"Oh yeah, I'm Rolith," Rolith held out his hand and gently shook the girl's small, pale appendage, "I'm the one who found you earlier today and brought you here to be patched up."

"Oh," Ruby looked at him, some recognition lighting in her eyes, "Thank you."

"No problem, as a knight in training, it's my job to help people."

Ruby's eyes lit up in wonder, "Wow, you're a knight? That's so cool."

Rolith glowed in pride, "Yep, well I'm technically a squire, but I'm the best we've got here in the Keep, so I'm close enough to one."

With the ice broken between the two, Ruby and Rolith began swapping stories about themselves. Ruby finished her tale of what had happened when she and Yang had entered the forest, ending with the appearance of her scythe-wielding Uncle before her vision went black. She also told him about her home life, how she and her sister were inseparably close, how her mom was a heroic monster slayer and made the best cookies, how her dad had, up until recently, been a doting father and combat trainer, and how her uncle was unsteady, but skilled man who came and went with little to no warning.

Rolith, in turn, told her about his life. How he had been born into a line of royal knights, and as such had been prepared for becoming one since a young age, about how he'd been trained with a sword since he was only a year or two older than her, about how he eventually became an official squire and was taken under the wing of a local knight, until he was eventually transferred to the new Oaklore Keep for training.

Ruby stared at the blonde youth in starry-eyed admiration, amazed that she would be in the presence of a knight (in training) like those in the story books her mom and Yang would read to her on occasion. They'd be super jealous when they picked her up to go home. Speaking of which, "Hey Rolith, when will I get to go home?"

Rolith shrugged, "Don't know really. There's currently people out looking for your family, mostly your sister and Uncle since they'd likely be the closest to where I found you. After that, it would probably have to wait until your ribs are fully healed, since breaks like those can be dangerous."

Ruby hummed in acceptance, looking down at the bottle of liquid she had yet to drink. Rolith, noting her line of sight, chuckled and said, "I know it tastes bad, potions always do, but you really should drink it."

Ruby frowned, struggling to uncork the container, only for Rolith to easily pop the stopper out and grin. Ruby pouted for a second before giving him a small 'thank you' and drank. She slowly drank the potion, definitely noticing the ever present 'cherry' flavoring that every terrible tasting medicine shared.

She coughed a bit once she finished, face somewhat green. "Ugh, I don't think I like that anymore than I do other medicines."

Rolith chuckled, "Yeah, I don't know how people survived before the flavoring was added."

The two continued chumming it up for a couple hours, only pausing for Ruby to describe her family to sketch artist so that he could hand rough sketches of them to the various patrols, as well as for Rolith to leave and get them some food.

Eventually, Pepper ushered Rolith out of the room, demanding that he give the girl time to rest.

* * *

Rolith made his way out of the Keep, watching as the sun set and the scout parties who had been sent out to locate the girl's family returned empty handed. In their place, parties of well-armed knights began to march into the Forest, searching for the monsters the girl had described to Sir Perior.

The knight captain himself stood of to the side, a serious look on his face. When he saw the blonde squire, he waved him over. "Did the lass tell you anything else about what happened before you found her, Rolith?"

Rolith nodded, "Yes sir, she said that the monsters attacked her and her sister, throwing Yang, that's her sister's name, across the clearing. However, before they could kill her, Ruby said their Uncle, a man named Qrow, killed the monsters and rescued them."

"Anything else?"

"Just that Qrow and Yang looked scared before her memory cuts out and called her name."

Perior clasped a hand under his chin, a humming thoughtfully, "That must have been right before whatever attacked her did so. That would explain the fear, as well as why she can't remember anything afterwards."

Rolith looked at his superior in concern, "Do you really think that the things that attacked Ruby were werewolves?"

Perior nodded, "Indeed, they match their description, if roughly. While I've never heard of those beasts having plating of any kind, I wouldn't doubt that some subspecies does, if only because the world loves throwing dangerous monsters at people."

Perior thought for a moment before asking, "Did the Ruby get a chance to describe her family to the sketch artist?"

Rolith nodded, "Yeah, he said that he'd have enough copies for the search parties by tomorrow morning."

Perior grunted, "Good, the sooner we have those passed around, the sooner we can find the kid's folks. Speaking of, did she tell you where she lived?"

"Yeah, a small town called Patch. We should probably send out a messenger to the town if we can't find her Uncle in the forest."

Perior narrowed his eyes in thought, "Patch? Can't say I've ever heard of a place like that before." Perior looked away, obviously deep in thought, "I'm going to go look over some maps of the surrounding area, see if I just missed a small town on it. I need you to grab a small party of knights and tell them where you found her, alright?"

Rolith nodded and gave Perior a sharp salute, "Sir!"

As the blonde left, the gears in Sir Perior's mind began to turn, as several inconsistencies made themselves known to him. "Perhaps I need to talk to her again tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning found a young Ruby Rose being awoken by the towering form of Sir Perior. The mountainous knight captain smiled friendlily at her as he pulled up a chair, as well as a few bedside tables for patients. He plopped a tray of food down on one of the tables and said, "Breakfast is here!"

"Thank you," Ruby called before trying to dig into the food, only for her still sore chest to pulse painfully.

"Careful, broken ribs don't heal that easily, even with medical attention." While scolding, Sir Perior's words held a degree of warmth that reminded Ruby of her father, causing her to relax a bit.

As she ate, Perior pulled out a large, rolled up piece of paper. He opened it and smoothed it out on one of the other tables he pulled up to her bedside, revealing a large and detailed map labeled 'Oaklore Forest.' He then pulled out another map, this one covering a much larger map, this one covering a much wider region, though with less specific detail, that was labeled 'Greenguard.'

Ruby looked at the maps curiously, then looked up at Sir Perior. The man shrugged and said, "I've just been having some trouble finding your hometown on my maps. While it might be a bit of a stretch, I was hoping you could point me to the general location of Patch, think you can help with that?"

Ruby swallowed some food and scooted closer to the tables, "Sure."

As she looked at the map of Oaklore Forest, Perior took the time to withdraw several golden coins. He sat one down in the middle of the North-Eastern sector of the Forest, in a clearing that had several roads branching from it. "We're currently around here, in Oaklore Keep." He withdrew a second coin and moved it further West, stopping near a cliff, "This, is where you were found. Hopefully that gives you a better idea of where to look for your town."

Ruby nodded and examined the map, gently tracing her finger over the line marking the cliff face, she figured she and Yang couldn't have come from that direction since they had walked, and she'd never seen Oaklore Keep, so the Eastern parts weren't where she'd come from either.

Moving her attention to the North and South, Ruby frowned. The South was cut off by a river, something she was certain she'd have remembered crossing or living near, and the North was framed by a bay.

Ruby scratched her head, she knew she lived somewhat close to the ocean, but her parents had always said that was because they were on... an island.

Ruby began looking over the map again, a feeling of panic welling up in her gut. Sure enough, aside from rivers and the bay, Oaklore was mostly landlocked, and looking at the map labeled 'Greenguard,' it was obviously framed by several other forested areas.

That was when she noticed several other unfamiliar aspects of the maps, the names. She'd never heard Oaklore until recently, but she'd just assumed it was a small town like Patch, but the map marked it as a region. She'd never heard of Greenguard, or Surewood. She'd never heard of a Southern region called 'Doomwood,' nor of an Eastern area called 'The Sandsea.'

The whole map was unfamiliar to her, neither the North-Eastern 'Elemental Foothills' or the North-Western 'Braughlmurk' were things she'd heard of. She'd never heard of an area called the 'Fairglade' and she was certain her parents or Uncle would have told her about them when talking about any of their travels.

More distressing than the names she didn't recognize were the ones she just didn't see. Her eyes swept the whole continental map, searching for the forests of Vale, the frozen wastes of Atlas, the beaches of Vacuo, or even the nation of the Mistral. The four nations she was taught about by her family, by her teacher, she couldn't find a single one of them.

She could find an island, but it was called 'Sho'Nuff.' She could find the frozen North, but the only city was one labeled 'Dragesvard.' The desert's only city was one called 'Duat.' And most importantly, and most jarring, was the forests were filled with cities, none of which she recognized. There was no Vale, instead she found a Swordhaven, a Falconreach, and a Verteroche Crossing. The Southern forests held an 'Amityvale,' a 'Moonridge,' and a 'Hunter's Paradise' (Something Ruby resolved to tell her parents and Uncle about, for obvious reasons) but still no Vale.

"What the," she mumbled to herself, confused at the map's refusal to show her the names she was familiar with. As she turned to Sir Perior, a confused look on her face, she was met by a calming pat on the back.

"I'm guessing you found something more troubling than just a lack of a town called 'Patch,' right?"

Ruby could only nod numbly, causing the man to sigh. "I'll admit, at first I was just concerned by the name of your hometown, as I'd never heard of it, but thinking more on your story from yesterday, something caught my attention. Something rather troublesome."

"What was it?" Ruby's question was quiet, her voice still not quite working from her inability to find her home on the large map.

The man simply stood up, offering his hand to her. "Come with me, and I'll show you." Ruby slowly slid out of the bed, sliding her feet into her shoes, which had been placed beneath the cot. When she had trouble standing, her ribs not agreeing with the use of muscles, Sir Perior easily lifted her onto his shoulders.

He carried her down the hall, allowing Ruby to take in the hustle and bustle of Oaklore Keep. They walked out of the two, large oak doors that marked the main entrance to the Keep, and Ruby got her first true glimpse at Oaklore Forest.

The trees were tall and vibrantly green, far bigger than the ones that grew near her house, she turned around, trying to soak in as much of the sight as possible, and froze when she saw the titan of a tree that stood behind her. It stretched far higher than any of the trees within the forest, its massive branches stretching far into the sky. It seemed to cover the entire clearing, casting its shadow over the place and preventing any other large plants from growing it the area.

Sir Perior ignored her awed staring and continued down the South-Western path. Ruby was silent as they moved down the road, ducking to pass under the lower branches. She couldn't help but silently take in the forest, which seemed to be filled with so much more vibrance and life than the one near her house.

They moved in silence, until Perior finally stopped at the cliff and carefully set Ruby down. She swayed unsteadily, her wounded ribs and sudden shift in height throwing her off for a second. "Where are we?"

Perior looked out over the cliff, looking down at the other towering oaks that stretched into Greenguard. "We are at the boarder between Oaklore and Greenguard. It is here that Rolith found you, injured and unconscious."

His answer caught Ruby off guard, "Here? But Yang and I were..."

"Indeed. You said that you were in a clearing, near a cabin." He then swept out his arms, "However, as you can see, there is neither clearing nor cabin anywhere nearby."

Ruby began to panic, a pit forming in her stomach. "B-but, how is that possible?"

Perior sighed, "There are a few different ways, but I need more information to really say." He then turned to Ruby and crouched down to get as close to eye level as possible, though his height made him still a good head and shoulders taller than her. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, "That's why I need you tell me what happened after your Uncle showed up."

Ruby flinched, "I-I don't remember."

"You don't remember, or you don't want to remember?" Sir Perior's firm tone tore though the young girl, making her look away. He drew her in for a comforting hug, making the child stiffen, "Come on Ruby, you can tell me. I'm here, nothing can hurt you."

Ruby sniffled, "I-I," she sighed tiredly, "I guess I, kinda remember it." She sniffled some more, "I remember Uncle Qrow calling me, looking scared. I turned around, and an even bigger monster was there. I-I couldn't look away from its eyes. It hit me, and my ribs hurt."

Ruby took a second to breathe before continuing, "Next thing I knew, I was on the other side of the clearing, and it was grabbing me by the head. Uncle Qrow tried to help me, but it held me between us, and couldn't do anything without hitting me. It threw me and then..."

Perior tightened his hold on her, while still being gentle enough as to not hurt the child, "And then?"

"And then I saw them. A big, black mouth opened and swallowed me..."

Perior narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean, 'swallowed?'"

Ruby sniffled, "I-it was like a big, sideways mouth opened and I just, fell in. Then everything got cold, it looked like I was in swirling black clouds, then something green hit my face and I passed out."

Sir Perior held the girl as she began crying about how scared she was, and how she didn't want to be dead. He absently rubbed her back and told her "Don't worry, you're not dead. If you were, you wouldn't be here." As he did so, he thought back on her description of the 'black, sideways mouth' that ate her.

He was only aware of one phenomenon that had the tall, jagged form that would match that description. A rift. Despite being rare, it was a known fact that powerful mages could open them with some effort, and while reports were contested, they were supposedly capable of opening by themselves in nature.

He gently lifted the girl back onto his shoulders and made to head back to the Keep. Sir Perior narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the path leading North-East, he had some reading to do, hopefully that would shed some light onto her current situation.


	3. Chapter Three V2

**AN: Hello people of FanFiction, and welcome back to the third chapter of Ruby's Lore, revised of course. You know, this was chapter was the one on which I responded to my first two reviews, ever. They were from Mysterioustgexpert and guisniperman. I will once again thank the both of you for your kind words, it was gratifying to have my fic be acknowledged by someone so early into its life, even if it wasn't nearly as good as it should be.**

 **This chapter was also my first ever fight scene, and now I'm revising it. This should be a chapter that falls closer to its original form, as there wasn't nearly as much wrong with it as there was in the first two, but there are still major changes.**

 **Without further ado, let's get right into the fic!**

* * *

Chapter Three V2

It was three days after Sir Perior had managed to gently cajole the truth of the encounter of Ruby, and he had spent those three days researching. Now, armed with several books on the history of Greenguard and Lore, as well as a tome on magic, specifically magic that was tied to the creation rifts, he prepared to reveal to Ruby what it was he had concluded.

He gently opened the door to the medbay, and instantly felt a soft smile grace his lips when he saw the scene inside. Rolith and Ruby were talking animatedly about something, Ruby making exaggerated impressions and eliciting several laughs from the blonde squire.

Rolith had taken it upon himself to help take care of the redhead he had found, it the two had quickly grown close. Ruby became attached to him since he looked somewhat similar to her father, and was one of the few people in Oaklore she knew. Rolith became equally attached because she was like the silly younger sister he never had, and found her antics entertaining and endearing.

The two looked up when he approached, Rolith snapping him a small salute. Perior 'hmph'ed jokingly, "Are you two really goofing off without me?" He pulled up a seat and sat down beside Ruby, who was much more active now that Pepper's treatments had more or less healed her ribs. "So, how has your day been so far?"

As Ruby regaled him with tales of how she finally got to walk around the keep with Rolith and meet his fellow squires, Perior felt his smile become slightly strained. He knew that he would have to reveal his findings to Ruby, and that they wouldn't be the most well recieved findings. As such, he inhaled softly and steeled himself to ruin the young redhead's day.

* * *

Ruby was confused when Perior ushered Rolith and Pepper out of the medbay, much to the elderly doctor's satisfaction. She only became more confused when he shrugged off Rolith's concerned questions and instead just shut the door on him and turned to her.

Ruby flinched slightly when she saw the serious look on his face, "Did I, do something wrong," she asked, nervously refusing to meet his firm gaze.

Instead of answering, Perior simply sat down on a chair and pulled out a book. He opened the book and flipped through until he found the page he marked and handed it to her. Ruby took it with a degree of confusion, and froze when she the drawing on the page.

A tall, dark, jagged hole was drawn on the center of the page, dark swirls visible within. Sir Perior, noticing how she flinched when she saw the picture, could only sigh. "So you recognize this, right?" At Ruby's strained nod, Perior sighed tiredly, "Of course you do. Well Ruby, I've got some good news and bad news."

At Ruby's concerned look he said, "The good news is that I know how you most likely found your way to our lovely forest. That thing you were thrown into is known as a 'rift,' it's a tear in the fabric of space that is created by powerful magical energies."

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but Perior continued on, "The bad news is that if you got here by rift, then we have no idea where in the world you came from, or perhaps more troubling, WHAT world you came from."

Ruby froze at his words, "W-what do you mean by, 'what world I came from?'"

Perior rubbed his brow tiredly, "It means exactly what it sounds like. While your lack of knowledge about our land could be the result of you being from another continent, the lack of knowledge on the existence of magic you've showed these past few days imply that you may be even further from home than we thought."

Sir Perior turned to Ruby, regret in his eyes, "I'm sorry, Ruby, but there is a very real chance that no one within these walls can help you get home."

Ruby felt her whole world stop. Her heart seemed to jump into her throat as her stomach tied itself into knots. "W-w-w-what? B-but that's... But my... How?" Ruby felt her eyes brim with tears at his words, how could she be THAT far from home? That wasn't possible, was it?

Perior placed a firm hand on her shoulder, "Ruby, calm down." He looked into her teary, silver eyes, "I said that 'we' couldn't help you, not that no one could." When it became clear he had her undivided attention, Perior continued, "Rifts are magical constructs, things created by magic. While nature can slam itself together and form them randomly, powerful mages can make them as well. As such, I'll see if I can't get in contact with one who could help you."

"R-really?" Ruby face was already streaked with tears, the revelation of current predicament having shaken her to the core.

"Indeed," the knight captain's voice was firm, and helped calm her down, especially after he had supported her the past several days, "It will probably take a while to ind one powerful enough to help, these things can almost never be handled by anything less that a group, guild, or coven of magic users, but I'm certain I can find someone who can help you."

"But what if you can't?" Ruby's question, while not something either of them wanted to consider, was a very real possibility.

"We'll cross that bridge if we get there,"he said, brushing off the question for the time being. "There's a few other things we need to discuss though."

"Like what?"

"Well, we need to get you a place to live until I can find you some help."

Ruby's eyes widened in shock, "What? But, can't I just stay here?"

Perior shook his head, "Unfortunately, no. Much as I'd like to, and believe me I'd like to, us knights aren't legally allowed to keep children who aren't currently squires in the Keep. While we could ignore the law while you were injured, since providing medical services to those in need is allowed, now that you're healed we can't legally keep you around."

Ruby was obviously going to cry again, and she refused to meet Perior's eyes. "I really am sorry Ruby, I can get you a room at the inn in Falconreach, Maryann and I have some history together, but I can't put you up here."

The two sat in silence for a minute, Perior letting the information set in, Ruby still trying not to break down at being forced out of the Keep she had become somewhat accustomed to. Perior gently rubbed her back, trying to help her keep her emotions in check.

As they sat there, he pulled out a few more books, as well as a small tan satchel. "These books are on this land's history, as well as the known history of the world. Studying these should help you determine if you are from this world or not. These, as well as the one on rifts, are yours to keep." He sat the books in the satchel before placing it by the side of her cot. "You'll be leaving tomorrow, I'll have Rolith escort you to town, and I'll give him a few days off to help you get settled in." He rubbed her back a bit more, though Ruby refused to look at him, "I'm sorry for being so sudden with all this Ruby, I hope you can forgive me."

It was only after Perior had left, and had told Pepper and Rolith to give her a few minutes alone, that Ruby finally broke down. She was far away from home, had no easy way of getting back to her family, and was now being forced out of the one place she even somewhat knew, along with being pushed away from the only people she was close to.

* * *

The next morning found a concerned, blonde squire and a despondent redhead standing outside Oaklore Keep. Each of them had a satchel of supplies, and Rolith had an iron mace hooked to his belt. They stood before Sir Perior, knight captain of the Oaklore Keep knights.

He looked down at Rolith, "Remember to keep her safe, alright?" At Rolith's nod and salute, Perior turned to Ruby, his eyes softening, "And as for you, Ruby, stay safe, alright? I'll send you any updates about my progress with reuniting you with your family."

Ruby looked at him, tearful and sad, but with a determination that hadn't been present the previous day. "Okay, I'll try. Thanks for everything, Sir Perior."

The knight chuckled softly, "You're a good kid, Ruby, you can just call me 'Perry.'"

The three waved goodbye to one another, before the two young companions set foot on the worn dirt road that wound its way through the Eastern reaches of Oaklore Forest. Ruby turned to wave to Perior, who returned the gesture sadly.

She refused to stop waving until the keep was out of sight, obscured by the many towering trees of Oaklore.

The two walked in relative silence, Rolith shooting Ruby concerned looks before he finally asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened yesterday?" At her questioning gaze he clarified, "You've been really down since yesterday, and it's got me pretty concerned."

Ruby sniffed, thinking for a moment. After about a minute, she decided that it would be best to simply come clean and tell Rolith everything that happened. She told him all about the previously unmentioned part of the monster attack, the part where she had previously claimed to have 'blacked out.' She told him about Sir Perior's research, and the conclusion he came to. How she was much further from home than she had previously thought, and her fears that she would never see her family again.

When she was done, Rolith looked at her in shock, "Wow, that's a whole lot to take in." At Ruby's sad nod he said, "I can really see why you're so upset, that would be pretty distressing."

Deciding that the mood was getting far too somber, Rolith asked, "So, anything you want to know about Falconreach? While I've never lived there, I have visited on several occasions."

Ruby thought for a moment, before asking "Is it nice there? I'm still pretty nervous."

Rolith chuckled at her question as he shot her a smile, "Yeah, it's a nice place. The town is small, but the townsfolk are all welcoming, the inn is comfortable, and the local smith is quite skilled."

Ruby looked at Rolith in confusion as she asked, "Who's Smith?"

"Heh, a smith is a job, Ruby, not a name," Rolith chuckled. Continuing on he said, "Anyway, a smith is a blacksmith, someone who makes weapons and tools for a living. The local smith, Brimme, and her son, Yuglar, help supply Oaklore Keep by filling orders."

Ruby made an understanding 'oh' in response to the squire's explanation before turning to him with another question, a gleam of interest in her eyes, "What kind of weapons do they make?"

"They make just about everything, swords, daggers, axes, staves, wands, scythes, all of it. Basically, if it can be useful in combat, those two can make it."

"Woah," Ruby whispered to herself, imagining the different types of weapons she could see in Falconreach, as a smile formed on her face.

Noticing her rising spirits, Rolith decided to press the topic and keep the conversation rolling. "So, do you like weapons?"

Ruby brightened up considerably as she nodded in response to the question, "Yep! Weapons are cool! They're a hero's right hand, their truest companion, they're the best!" Ruby finished off the claim with a comically exaggerated heroic pose, and a face splitting grin.

Rolith chuckled as he listened to her spiel before shooting her a grin, "Weapons really are important to heroes, aren't they? So Ruby, are you interested in becoming a hero?"

"Yep! Mom and Yang read me stories about heroes and adventurers all the time! It's my dream to become a hero as great as one of them, or even as great as Mom is!"

Ruby's face shone with determination as she proclaimed her ambitions with a confidence becoming of a prospective hero. Rolith couldn't help but grin as he listened to her ramble about she'd save everyone, even the villains and rid the world from monsters. It was a charming display that he couldn't help but get caught up in it.

That distraction, while pleasant, nearly cost him his life.

The only warning he received was the whistling of a weapon traveling through the air, and a sudden gasp of shock from Ruby. Rolith just barely managed to get his mace up to block the savage blow aimed at his head, the impact nearly breaking his guard and knocking him off balance.

"Well, well, well, what do we 'ave 'ere?" His assailant asked, his voice thick with both accent and malice. "A little knightlette and a girly. What are ya doin alone in the woods? Dontcha know it's dangerous around this time?"

Rolith leapt back, his arm held out to push Ruby back with him, as the bandit let out an eerie, wheezing laugh. He steadied himself and glanced at Ruby, who was frozen in shock, with trepidation visible in her face. "Stay back, Ruby, I'll handle him," Rolith said, his voice firm as he glared firmly at the bandit ahead of him. Ruby nodded before dashing over to a tree and hiding behind it.

"Hee hee hee, the knightlette thinks he can take on the big, bad bandit all by himself? How quaint," the bandit wheezed before launching himself forward with surprising speed, swinging his sword at the squire's head.

Rolith, now focused on the threat ahead of him, was much more prepared for this attack. He blocked the sword before swinging his mace to the right in an effort to throw off the bandit's balance. However, the bandit jumped backwards before the sword could get caught, and lunged for the new opening.

Rolith quickly dove to the side before deftly swinging for the bandit's exposed back. What seemed to be a guaranteed hit was blocked when the bandit seemed to twist his back over ninety degrees to block the hammer blow. The force, while deflected, did throw the bandit's sword from his hand.

Thinking quickly, the bandit rolled out of the way of the teen's following strike before pulling a dagger from his belt. "You're a lot better than I thought you'd be, knightlette," the bandit chuckled, "and 'ere I thought this would be boring."

Rolith narrowed his eyes at his opponent, mace at the ready, "You'd do well to surrender, miscreant. As the best squire Oaklore Keep has to offer, I'm more than a match for you." Despite his words, Rolith's tone was laced with hints of bravado. The bandit's skill and speed catching him off guard, and the task of defending Ruby weighing on his mind.

"Hee hee hee," the bandit's wheezing laugh grated on the teen's nerves as the man clad in light armor gazed at the shorter male. "That's where you're wrong knightlette, I've already got you beat." He then snapped his fingers and the sound of rustling leaves attracted Rolith's gaze to where Ruby had run and hid.

His blood ran cold as a large man walked out from behind trees, a Warhammer strapped to his back and a struggling redhead in his grasp. "R-Ruby!" Rolith shouted in shock as he saw her be roughly manhandled by the new bandit. "L-let her go!"

"Harharhar!" The larger bandit laughed as he lifted Ruby above his head. "Or what, kid? You gonna cry? Get some snot on me?"

The man's rough voice was like knives on Rolith's nerves, his mind went into overdrive as he simultaneously kicked himself for not keeping an eye on Ruby during his battle, and trying to find some way he can at least get her out of the situation alive.

"What do you monsters want, anyway?" Rolith spat, attempting to get them to talk and stall for time as he thought.

"Hee, hee, how 'bout you drop that pretty little weapon of yours so we can chat like civilized folks? What'dya say, Knightlette," the first bandit asked, malice lacing his words and tone as eyed Rolith predatorily.

When Rolith made no move to relinquish his weapon, the larger man tightened his grip around Ruby's throat, eliciting a choking noise from the young girl and a wince from the squire. "Ya better listen to him, boy, don't want cute little red here to run out of wind, do we?" The man's voice had a disturbing air of enjoyment to it that sickened Rolith.

Seeing no other choice that wouldn't risk Ruby's life, Rolith glared at the large bandit, but complied, throwing his mace to the side.

"Atta boy," The bandit holding Ruby grinned, as he loosened his grip on the redhead and let her gasp in choking breaths, "Now wasn't that easier than getting all defiant?"

"Let her go," Rolith growled, shooting the bandit his strongest death glare.

The bandit just laughed and said, "How cute, the dog has a bark..."

A heavy blow slammed into Rolith's back, throwing him into the ground. He looked back to see the first bandit, Rolith's mace in hand, and a bloodthirsty grin on his face. "Now to see if it has a bite! Hee, hee, hee!" The bandit wheezily laughed, his enjoyment of the squire's predicament clear as day.

The larger man threw Ruby to the side and into a tree, eliciting a cry of pain from her, before unsheathing his Warhammer. He held the hammer in both hands as he approached Rolith's prone form, a wide, nasty grin splitting his features.

Rolith couldn't move, his lungs were still low on air from having the wind knocked out of him, and the fear of imminent death had him pinned to ground. Time seemed to slow as the large bandit stopped in front of him, then he slowly lifted his Warhammer higher and higher. First to chest level, then eye, then above his head, until it was finally cocked back behind his head for maximum force.

"Harharhar," the large man laughed as he drank in the squire's expression of fear and despair. "Looks like its nighty night for you, boy. Don't worry, we'll take good care of Red for you."

However before he could swing the instrument of death down upon the teen's head, a small red blur approached at breakneck speed, and stabbed a wooden stick into the back of the large man's knee through a gap in his armor.

The man howled in pain at the sizable piece of wood that Ruby had just introduced to the inner workings of his knee, and dropped his Warhammer.

Recovering from his fear induced paralysis, Rolith quickly rolled to his feet and dashed underneath the large bandit's legs and grabbed the man's Warhammer. Wasting no time, he through all of his weight into swinging the hammer up and into the head of the immobilized bandit. The force of the blow took the undefended the bandit down in a single swing. Blood pooled around the head of the man as he crumpled to the ground.

Rolith then slammed the Warhammer into the ground to halt his momentum while facing the first bandit, who was frozen in surprise at the sudden turn of events.

"Y-you little bastard!" The wheezy bandit roared, "You killed my friend!"

The mace wielding bandit rushed forward, throwing all of his weight into his swing. Unused to the weight of a Warhammer, Rolith failed to bring up his weapon in time, and took the full brunt of the attack.

Skidding back several feet and gasping for air, Rolith nearly collapsed onto his knees from the attack. He tried to prepare for the bandit's next attack, but his effort was proven unnecessary as Ruby threw herself at the wheezing bandit, and jabbed her stick as hard as possible into the man's groin.

He let out a very high pitched wheeze, like steam from a teakettle, as Rolith threw himself forward and delivered the final blow, taking out the bandit for good with a well-placed slam to the head.

Rolith dropped the Warhammer before he bent over, hands on his knees as he supported himself, waiting for his heart and nerves to go down after the highly stressful battle against two, most likely high ranking, bandits. Just as he began to even out his breaths, a sobbing Ruby slammed into his legs, causing his tired body to nearly fall over on the spot.

Despite his best efforts, Rolith could only understand pieces of what Ruby was saying as she cried into his legs. Something about being really scared he would die. About thinking that she would die. About not knowing that the bandits would die. It seemed that their encounter with the bandits was the last straw necessary for Ruby to fully crack under the recent pressure, and fully unleash the flood of emotions that had been building up over the past few days.

Rolith rubbed the distraught redhead's back as he tried to console her and assuage any fears she had about her second near-death experience in recent memory, as well his own first time nearly dying.

They stayed like that for some time, until Ruby finally seemed to wear herself out.

When she finally passed out, having cried herself to sleep in his arms, Rolith gently lifted her up and placed her onto his back. He then went around, gathering the weapons that had been strewn about during the fight. Hooking the sword and mace to his belt, strapping the Warhammer to his back, and placing the dagger in a small clip on his belt, Rolith prepared himself for the rest of the trek to Falconreach.

Rolith quietly cursed to himself as he continued on down the road. Had he just payed better attention, he may have been able to avoid that confrontation. Instead though, he managed to traumatize the young redhead he had grown to care for, and nearly get the both of them killed, or worse considering how sadistic the two seemed to be.

As such, Rolith found a newfound determination as he stepped over the wooden bridge, down the dirt road, and the grouping of wooden buildings that made up the small, but bustling town of Falconreach. He refused to let his amateurish skills get in the way and harm someone ever again. He refused to let anyone else get hurt in his presence ever again.

Ruby was right to dream of becoming a hero, and Rolith decided to take up such a dream as well. He would become a knight, a warrior who fights for justice. He would protect the innocent no matter the personal cost. Even if he had to give up everything to do so.


	4. Chapter Four

**AN: Hey again, folks. This should be the last chapter (and boy was it an unexpectedly long one) before I jump ahead a few years to after Ruby has begun settling into Lore, so look forward to that! Since I don't have to add other than my thanks to those followed and favorited this (really, thank you, it means a lot), let's move right along into the fic!**

* * *

Chapter Four

On the other side of the room, a bed held the slumbering form of a small redhead. Bandages could be seen covering the scrapes that littered her face, and bruising could be seen on her neck. Despite the marks that belied a harried and dangerous night, the child slept soundly, still quite drained from the encounter.

The youths' sleep was disturbed by a series of knocks from the other side of the door. "Up and at 'em you two," Maryann, the innkeeper, called out to the room's slumbering inhabitants. "I'll be serving breakfast throughout the hour, but after that you're on your own!"

The innkeeper waited until she heard a sleepy groan come through the door, at which point she continued on to the next guest's room to awaken them as well and continue her daily schedule.

Rolith groggily sat up his bed, and groaned as he was hit by the soreness that lingered from yesterday's battle. He stretched out and felt his joints pop in response. As the haze of sleep slowly left his mind and eyes, Rolith looked over at the still sleeping form of Ruby.

After making sure she was still there, and hadn't vanished overnight, Rolith got out of the bed, and grabbed some of his more casual, off time clothes. He carefully left the room, quietly closing the door behind him, before he made his way to the inn's washroom.

After cleaning himself up, making sure his bandaged wounds were clean, then rewrapping them with clean bandages, Rolith returned to his room to wake Ruby for the day. He lightly shook the small redhead until she groaned tiredly.

Tired silver eyes, clouded by the haze of sleep, slowly looked at the blonde squire. "Dad," the child sleepily asked as she began to rub the sleep from her eyes and sat up, "why am I so sore?"

Rolith grimaced, knowing that he would have to remind the young girl of her current predicament, as well as of the events of the previous night so that she could properly clean her wounds. Rolith sighed, already beginning to feel tired from the rather stressful prospect of upsetting the young girl, before deciding to tear off the proverbial bandage quickly. "Ruby," he started causing the girl to pause mid-yawn, "it's me Rolith not your dad." After a moment's hesitation he added, "Sorry."

Ruby seemed to freeze at the mention of Rolith's name, before slowly turning to him, her silver eyes now wide. He hand instinctively found itself placed on her neck, causing her to wince as she touched the bruising. "R-Rolith," Ruby stuttered as the events of the previous day hit her with the force of a falling tree. "If you're here then..."

Ruby's voice trailed off and tears began to well up in her eyes as the truth sunk in. Rolith looked down for a moment before gently placing his hand on her shoulder. Attempting to sound as comforting as possible, Rolith said, "Yeah, everything that happened yesterday really happened. From us meeting to getting attacked in the Forest, all of it."

Ruby sniffled as she tried not to cry. She was in another world, away from her dad or Yang, and just the other day a large bandit nearly killed her. She was broken out of her thoughts by Rolith, who had a sad expression on his face.

"Sorry Ruby," he apologized, looking down in shame, "if I had been a better knight, if I had just payed attention, you wouldn't have gotten hurt yesterday."

Not wanting the teen that she beginning to consider a friend to feel upset, Ruby shook her head and said, "No, it was my fault. I got caught. Sorry."

In spite of her efforts, Ruby's words just seemed to upset Rolith even more. He shook his head sadly and replied, "No Ruby, it was definitely my fault. I'm a squire, a knight in training, it's my duty to defend everyone, and I almost completely failed you yesterday. Had you not endangered yourself by attacking those bandits, I very well could be dead right now." Rolith shook his head, clearly ashamed of himself, before continuing, "Speaking of, thank you Ruby, you saved both of us back there. I've gotta say, you've already got the markings of a true hero."

Ruby couldn't help but blush at the compliment, and looked at her lap in embarrassment. It was weird, getting such high praise from someone who wasn't family. The fact that was more or less an endorsement of the dream that most adults would laugh off as a bit of childish naiveté made it all the more impactful. Despite her earlier tears, and fear she could still distinctly feel from the encounter, Ruby couldn't help the proud smile that grew on her face as she looked back up.

At the sight of her grin, Rolith couldn't maintain a frown himself. Something about knowing he had raised the redhead's spirits brought him a warm feeling. Ruffling the girl's red and black hair, an act that elicited an embarrassed squawk from Ruby, Rolith chuckled and said "Of course, you can't hope to become a hero covered in dirt like that."

He grabbed one of his old shirts from his bag and tossed it to her along with some cleaning supplies and bandages. "Come on, I'll lead you to the washroom. After you've cleaned yourself up we'll grab breakfast and head out into town."

At her nod, the young companions left the room and left for the washroom, prepared to start the day.

* * *

The two youths pulled up a seat at one of the empty tables within the small inn's dining area. Rolith was dressed in a light shirt and pair of slacks, with a pair of casual shoes rather than his normal armored boots. Ruby on the other hand, due to her clothes being dirtied and damaged during yesterday's fight, was wearing an older shirt of Rolith's. Due to their, size difference, the shirt was much closer to a dress than anything, and was using the shoes she appeared with.

Maryann walked up to them from counter and asked, "All we've got are eggs today, will that be fine?"

The two nodded their heads as their stomachs growled hungrily, causing Ruby to blush. Maryann just chuckled before returning to the kitchen to get her young guests some food.

While they waited, Ruby turned to Rolith and asked "So what are we gonna do today?"

Rolith thought for a moment before answering, first we're gonna get you some new clothes, there should be a tailor in town. After that we'll ask the resident Guardians if they know any of them know a mage that could help you out."

"What if they don't," Ruby asked, slightly downtrodden at the prospect.

Rolith shrugged, unable to do much to assuage her very real fear, before saying, "Then we'll see about getting you a semi-permanent room here. Someone with useful information will have to pass through eventually."

Ruby thought for a moment before asking, "So we'll be staying for a while?"

Shaking his head. Rolith answered "No, you'll end up staying here. As much as I'd like to be around, I've still got knight training to do over in Oaklore Keep. I'll have to set out this afternoon."

"What!? B-but what will I do!? I can't be here alone!" Ruby began panicking, she was already stranded in a foreign world, and she didn't want to be alone on top of that.

Rolith grimaced, not wanting to leave the very lost redhead on her own. He shook his head before answering, "I don't wanna leave you alone either, but people who aren't knights, squires, associated nobles, or lorekeepers aren't allowed to live in the Keep." At Ruby's disheartened expression Rolith quickly continued, "But that's part of why you should stay in Falconreach, it's close enough that I can easily visit on days where I don't have duties."

Ruby perked up a bit, and asked, "Promise you'll visit?"

"I promise," Rolith answered with a reassuring smile, causing Ruby to return the expression, though not as strongly. "Besides," he continued, "I'll still be here for half the day, so we have time to hang out."

Any further conversation was halted by Maryann reappearing with two plates of scrambled eggs, and two glasses of water. "If you kids need anything else, just let me know," she said before walking away to tend to more guests.

Ruby and Rolith ate in companionable silence. Rolith considering the best way to gather information and find suitable clothes for the dimensionally displaced redhead, Ruby thinking about how best to spend the rest of their time before Rolith left.

Before long they had both finished eating and Maryann had gathered their dishes. Once the table had been cleared, they both stood up, Ruby stretching a little, before they made their way out of the inn and into Falconreach's streets.

* * *

Their first stop was the Guardian Tower to see if any of the town's resident protectors had any leads on mages who could help get Ruby home. As Rolith asked several different Guardians, Ruby couldn't help but admire their armor and weapons.

Unlike the knights at Oaklore Keep, the armor worn by the Guardians was much less bulky, and were trimmed with gold in several sections. They looked almost regal for a group who spent time defending a seemingly inconsequential town. Their weapons, however, were much less regal looking. They wielded longswords that, instead of boasting the straight, simple edge of a normal sword, consisted of a thinner bodied blade which extended a large, sharp, hooked head. Underneath the head of the blade were two smaller hooks that served to hook and tear at enemies. All in all, they struck an intimidating figure that seemed odd for guardsmen.

Her interest piqued, Ruby went over to one of the Guardians stationed near the entrance of the tower. The Guardian noticed her approach and said "Hello child, what is it that you need?" Despite the fact that a helm his her face, her voice suggested that a friendly smile was most likely playing on her lips.

Ruby nervously blushed and began fiddling with the sleeves of the borrowed shirt before stuttering, "W-well, I saw you and I, uh, saw your sword and uh, could I," Ruby's face was now a deep red as the female Guardian chuckled good naturedly at the stuttering kid. Ruby's dam seemed to finally break as she nearly shouted, "C-could I please see your weapon?"

The Guardian lightly laughed as she unsheathed her Guardian Blade so that Ruby could get a better view of the object of her interest before politely warning her, "Be careful not to touch the edges though, I'm proud to say I keep this baby as sharp as the day she was forged."

Ruby pulled a serious expression as she nodded, before examining the blade from every angle she could, "Oohing" and "Ahhing" the whole time.

The Guardian watched her with amused eyes before interrupting her examination with a friendly, "You seem to be quite interested in weapons, huh?"

* * *

She couldn't help but smile as the cute girl happily nodded in response to her question, before saying "Yep! Weapons are so cool. They're basically people but more interesting!"

The Guardian then made a terrible mistake in indulging the adorable redheaded child who had walked up to her, she asked the question "So what all do you know about weapons?"

Rolith returned to the ground floor of the Guardian Tower, having exhausted every Guardian of any information about mages they had. He was largely disappointed in the information he got as it was lacking to say the least. Mostly just rumors about mages who had vanished after attempting to cast a spell to create a portal to another world, or who found themselves entirely drained of magic in the attempt. The only potentially helpful info he got was about a mysterious Blue Mage, though if the rumors were accurate than the man had hermetic tendencies, and would be hard to find.

Sighing, Rolith looked around for Ruby, and could barely keep himself from laughing when he found her. She was talking to a female Guardian who looked very overwhelmed, and was talking about some of the most esoteric weapon concepts he had ever heard. He had no clue what "mech-shifting-roller-gun-blades" were, or why they required a gallon of lubricant for maintenance, but it was quite clear that the redhead was well within her element, and had dragged the poor Guardian far outside of her own on the way there.

He shook his head wryly as he approached the two, prepared to save the Guardian from his diminutive and talkative charge. "Hey Ruby!" He called out to her, getting the redhead's attention, and drawing a relieved look from the harried Guardian, "You ready to head back out into town?"

"Yep!" Ruby responded, before turning back to the Guardian, "Bye Miss Tabitha!"

The Guardian gave Ruby a tired wave and said, "Stay safe Ruby."

Rolith smiled at the happy redhead as they left the tower and headed back down the hill to Falconreach proper. "I see you made a new friend today."

"Yeah, Miss Tabitha and I talked about weapons while you were gone," Ruby said happily. She then turned to Rolith and asked, "What are we doing next?"

"Next we're heading to the tailor, you can't just have a single pair of torn up clothes and my oversized shirt. After that we can just look around until I have to leave." Rolith thought for a moment before adding, "We'll also see about renting that room at the inn for an indefinite amount of time."

Ruby nodded as they made their way to the tailor.

* * *

After stopping by the tailor, getting Ruby measured, and then ordering clothes, mostly red shirts and black pants as those were the colors she adamantly requested, Rolith and Ruby were down to only a few hours of free time before he would have to return to Oaklore, and Ruby would be largely on her own.

"So, anywhere you want to check out, Ruby?" Rolith asked, as ho looked around the main street of Falconreach.

Ruby thought for a moment, before a spark of interest entered her eye. "Hey, hey! Can we go to the blacksmith's!?" She asked excitedly, the prospect of seeing more weapons being a high up on her list of things to do.

Rolith chuckled as he said, "Alright, it's located near the center of the town. I should say hello to Brimme while I'm at it, she fills out a lot of our orders."

As they entered the smithery, Ruby's eyes flew around the room, drinking in every displayed weapon she could, an excited grin stretched across her face.

As Ruby gushed over the weapons on display, Rolith approached the large, brunette woman behind the counter. She smiled as he approached and said "I recognize you, you're from Oaklore, right?" At his nod she chuckled and said, "Here to place another order? You squires must be tearing through the gear."

Rolith smiled and shook his head, "Nah, I'm just showing her around and getting her settled into the inn," he said as he jabbed his thumb back at Ruby.

Brimme chuckled roughly as she eyed the redhead who was buzzing around the shop, "An excitable thing, isn't she? So, how'd she get pushed on you guys?"

Rolith simply said, "Eh, the long and short of it is that she was found alone on the cliff South-West of Oaklore Keep, discovered that she may have gotten there through magic, so now we're trying to get her back home."

Brimme winced at Rolith's explanation, and eyed Ruby with a bit of pity, "The kid's that far off of home huh? How do you plan on getting her back?"

"Considering that she may have come from another world, we need a powerful mage who can both create a portal that she can safely travel through, and can find the one she came from."

Brimme grunted as she turned to Ruby and called her over, "Hey kid, you'll be staying in town for a while, right?" At the redhead's nod, she flashed Ruby a grin and said, "Well if you ever need something, just stop by. Me and my son, Yuglar, can help you out."

Ruby nodded shyly and said, "Thanks Miss Brimme."

"None of that 'Miss' stuff kid," Brimme said with a grin, "I'm not one for formalities."

"Okay, Brimme," Ruby said, looking a bit more comfortable around the blacksmith.

Looking around Rolith asked, "Where is Yuglar anyway, it's odd to not see him around the forge."

"He's taking care of Aria today," Brimme said, "Grams is sick, so she couldn't watch her today."

"Oh, well tell her I hope she gets better soon," Rolith said.

Brimme chuckled kindly and replied, "Don't worry, I'll be sure it on. I'm certain she'll be glad to hear it."

"Umm, who's Grams?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"Grams is the local owner of the pet shop," Brimme said, "She and I are Aria's grandparents."

"Okay, thanks for telling me," Ruby said with a smile.

Rolith stretched and looked out the window, "Hey Ruby, we may want to start heading back to the inn, it's almost for me to get going."

"Already," Ruby asked, her mood immediately taking a downturn, "Are you sure you can't stay for another day?"

Rolith frowned as he looked at the now downtrodden redhead, "Yeah, I have to. Don't want to worry the others at Oaklore Keep, do we? Besides, I need to report the bandit attack that happened on the way up here."

"You got attacked by bandits," Brimme asked angrily "I hope you put those monsters in their place for attacking two children."

"Don't worry Brimme," Rolith said, holding his hands up placatingly, "Those two won't be bothering anyone ever again. And if they somehow did, I'd place some gold on Ruby being able to beat them back down with a stick the same way she did the first time around."

Brimme laughed jovially at the last part, "The bandits were brought down by a young child with a stick? That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!"

Ruby blushed and looked off to the side before saying, "Rolith did most of the work, I just helped."

"Well, I really do need to start leaving, it was nice seeing you Brimme," Rolith said as he began to walk towards the exit, Ruby following behind him.

"Alright," Brimme waved, 'I won't keep you, be sure to stop by next time you're in town, won't you? And Ruby, remember to come to me if you ever have trouble, alright?"

The two youth's gave her their respective "Okay"s as they went out the door.

With that out of the way, Rolith and Ruby headed towards their final destination, Falconreach Inn, for the final preparations for Ruby's stay, as well as for Rolith to grab the stuff he would be returning to the Keep with.

As they entered the inn, Rolith called out to the innkeeper, "Hey, Maryann! Would it be possible to get a permanent room here at the inn?"

Maryann looked at him funny before saying, "Yes, but only if you can pay, a free night here and there I can afford, but unlimited free nights are well outside my budget, sorry."

Rolith looked thoughtful before reaching for his coin pouch, "How much would it cost, and how often would it need to be paid?"

Maryann was about to answer when Ruby interrupted, nervously, "Umm, could I stay if I helped around the inn instead of paying?" At Rolith's questioning look Ruby blushed and explained, "You already payed for my clothes, you shouldn't pay for this too."

Maryann's face softened as she looked at the young child in front of her. Rolith was about to object when she said, "I'd be able to get things done much faster if I had someone else doing the dishes during mealtimes, so I'll take you up on that offer."

Ruby brightened up at that, relief rushing into her face. "Really? That's great! Thanks Miss Maryann."

Maryann smiled gently at the redhead before saying "No problem, I'll wake you up early so you can get cleaned up for work, and then I'll expect you to be here at noon and at around six in the evening, can you handle that?"

Ruby pulled a determined face before saying, "Yes, I can."

Rolith sighed as he shrugged his shoulders, unable to say much since the two had already come to a decision. "Alright, time for me to pack up."

Rolith and Ruby walked up the stairs to their small guest room, which would soon be emptier by one person.

Ruby looked sad as Rolith placed his armor over his clothes, and strapped the weapons they had obtained from the bandits to various holders on his armor. He turned to her and looked at her sadly and said, "I guess it's just about time for me to leave."

Ruby looked down, refusing to look at the squire who became the only person she felt close to in this new world. Forlornly, she said, "Yeah, I guess it is." She couldn't quite hide the sad sniffling she was making.

"Hold out your hand," Rolith suddenly said, causing Ruby to look up in confusion, before complying. Rolith picked something out of his item pouch and pressed it into her hand. Ruby closed her hand around the rough leather hilt of dagger dropped by the Wheezy Bandit yesterday.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Rolith started to explain, "I want you to have that. It's a symbol of our first adventure together, and of you saving my life. As such, I want you to use that to defend yourself, and others, so that I know you'll be safe while I'm away."

Ruby looked down on the dagger that was now held in her grip, tears welling up in her eyes. She suddenly dashed forward and wrapped her arms around the waist of the young squire. "I'll miss you," she said.

Rolith chuckled and patted her head. "Next time I visit, remind me to teach you all about weapon safety, you shouldn't be hugging people with unsheathed weapons in your hand." At Ruby's embarrassed pout he laughed and ruffled her hair some more. "Don't worry Ruby, I'll miss you too, and will visit as soon as I get the time to do so."

"Okay," Ruby said, pulling a sad, but accepting expression.

"Goodbye Ruby, I'll be back," Rolith said as he walked out the door of their shared room.

"Bye Rolith, I know you will," Ruby replied, with a sad smile.

And thus, Ruby Rose was left on her own, in a strange world, without her family. And yet, as her grip tightened around the leather grip of her new dagger, a newfound feeling of confidence and determination spread through Ruby.

"I promise Rolith," Ruby muttered to herself after the door had closed behind the squire, "Me and this Worn Dagger will become heroes. I'll be the best hero you've ever seen."


	5. Chapter Five

**AN: This chapter is technically the first part of the Oaklore Keep Sneevil questline. I hope this acts as a good indicator for how I'll try to handle other questlines in the future, so tell me what you think.**

 **Also, sorry for labeling the last chapter five, minor slip up on my end.**

 **Thanks go to Rammieson for the review. While they might not number to greatly, DragonFable and its fanbase are still kicking.**

* * *

Chapter Five

Rays from the morning streamed through an open window, illuminating the kitchen of the small yet bustling Falconreach Inn. At her station in front of the sink, a nine year old Ruby Rose deftly and quickly washed the dishes brought in by her employer and landlady, Maryann. In between groups of dishes and utensils, Ruby would impatiently check the sundial stationed outside the window, trying to will time to speed up so that she could move onto her less work related activities.

Over the past few years, Ruby had grown considerably. She now stood almost a foot taller than when she had first arrived. Her hair retained its normal, chin-length on the sides, but had become considerably more messy and seemed to curl up slightly in the back. She was garbed in a rough red shirt, as well as a pair of black trousers. She had long outgrown the old shoes she had appeared in, and now sported a cheap pair made of tanned hide. Sheathed on her left hip was the dagger Rolith had given her the day they had first parted ways.

Maryann brought in another stack of dirtied dishes and placed them at Ruby's work station. "That's the last table for now," She said, a smile on her face as she saw the redhead give out a small 'Whoop' as she hurriedly began to clean off the last of the obstacles in the way of her leaving. "Slow down, you don't want to accidentally break one, besides, I've got news today."

Ruby looked at Maryann in confusion, as she scrubbed the plate a bit more slowly. "In light of the recent rise in patrons here at the inn, I've decided that working breakfast and dinner would be enough to pay your rent, you have lunch off from now on."

Ruby's eyes widened in shock as she stopped cleaning entirely. "Really," she gasped. At Maryann's pleasant nod, she broke into a wide grin, the prospect of having free reign until nightfall already occupying her mind with all the things she could now that she didn't need to stay as close to town throughout the day.

Ruby began to scrub the plates with renewed vigor, placing completed ones onto a pile that needed to dry. Maryann smiled at Ruby's excitement, "Try not to get yourself into too much trouble while you're out though."

Ruby placed the last plate on the stack before flashing Maryann a grin and saying, "I won't, besides, since when do I get into trouble?"

Maryann rolled her eyes before replying, "I distinctly remember you stumbling into town, having just avoided being mauled by a bear the other day."

Ruby pouted at Maryann's teasing before saying, "It's not my fault that bear was jerk, besides, it was bothering a local farmer, I couldn't just let attack him"

Maryann sighed exasperatedly, "Just try not to get hurt, Ruby. You worry me enough as it is."

Ruby simply smiled and said, "I'll try not to get too beat up."

As she watched the redhead jet out the door, Maryann brought her hand to forehead tiredly, "That's half of the problem, you know."

* * *

Ruby waved to townsfolk and Guardians as ran through the Western exit of Falconreach. With a full day ahead of her, Ruby quickly decided on the location of her first true foray out of Falconreach. Her shoes slapped across the wooden bridge as she waved to the knight stationed at the entrance to Oaklore Forest, earning her a friendly wave in return.

As she entered the forest, Ruby quickly bent over grabbed a large, sturdy stick off the forest floor, which she promptly slid in between her belt and pants. With her goto, easily replaceable weapon obtained, Ruby continued down the road towards Oaklore Keep.

As the massive oak tree that marks the location of Oaklore Keep, Ruby's pace increased and a grin stretched across her face. Her pace slowed as she approached the gates to the Keep, greeting the knights stationed on either side of the gates as she approached. "Hey, is Rolith in," Ruby asked as she approached.

"Yeah," the knight on the left said as he opened the door for the girl, "he should be getting supplies from the medbay right now."

Ruby tilted her head in confusion, "The medbay, what's Rolith need from there?"

"He's about to participate in his very first combat mission. He and some other squires are dealing with some of the resident Sneevils. Those little goblins have been causing trouble around Oaklore Forest recently, and need to be dealt with."

Ruby gained a thoughtful expression as she entered the doors and turned left to head towards the Oaklore Keep medbay. She was hoping to ask Rolith for combat advice today, but him having a mission threw a wrench in that plan.

Stopping in front of the door to the medical bay, Ruby slowly opened the door before entering the room. She looked around the room, before spotting her blonde friend conversing with the resident medic.

Much like Ruby, he too had grown over the past four years. The seventeen year old had grown by about half a foot over the time Ruby had known him. Whatever baby fat his face still had at thirteen had left his face, revealing a strong, handsome facial structure. His hair was cut at chin length, with bangs parted widely as to not enter his green eyes. His shoulders had broadened considerably over the years, and his muscle structure took on a highly defined, athletic form.

He held himself with a strong, professional posture, which was soon broken by the redheaded rocket that launched herself into his back as she gave him a surprise greeting.

The medic swiftly sidestepped the falling squire with an amused expression. "Hey Ruby," she greeted the redhead, "How have you been?"

"I've been doing good," Ruby chirped from her perch atop Rolith's shoulders as he struggled to get up with the additional weight throwing him off balance. "How have you been?"

The medic chuckled at the lively girl before saying," I've been well. You seem to have grown quite a bit since I last saw you. Have you been eating well?"

Ruby grinned before answering, "Of course! Meals are part of my pay, I'd quit if they weren't enough to feed me."

Their conversation was interrupted by the slightly irritated, slightly fondly exasperated groans of Rolith as he tried to straighten himself out. "As nice as it is too see you Ruby, would you mind getting off?"

Ruby pulled a mock thinking position, her arm resting on top of Rolith's head and her head atop her fist, before answering, "I can't do that Rolith, this is important weight and balance training, you wouldn't want to fall behind anyone in strength, would you?"

Rolith didn't need to see the face of his young friend to know she had a mischievous grin on her face. He sighed in resignation before straightening himself off, readjusting his balance as he felt the new weight on his shoulders sway at the movement. "What are you doing here anyway? Maryann doesn't give you today off," Rolith asked the happily humming kid who had claimed him as her mount.

Ruby leaned forward so that she could grin into his face, "Maryann said that we get enough customers so I can take lunches off from now on!"

"That's good," he said, smiling back at her. "I'm about to meet up with my squad for our first basic combat mission, would you like to meet them?" The excited, upsidedown nod he received was all the motivation he needed to get a move on to the meeting place.

The two made their way into the clearing in front of Oaklore Keep, where three other squires were waiting for Rolith. They looked towards the duo as they approached, amusement clear in their expressions.

Rolith halted in front of them and looked up at his passenger. "These are my fellow squires, Vivor," a young man with long black hair and a foolhardy air about him waved pleasantly at Ruby, "Valence," another young man, this one with midlength brunette hair, waved at Ruby as he eyed his surroundings cautiously, "and Junn." The last squire mentioned gave her a kind wave. He was a thin young man, with short ginger hair.

Ruby eyed him curiously before looking down at Rolith, "Why's he so thin, he doesn't look strong enough to be a knight?"

Junn looked off to the side clearly embarrassed, he was about to answer her when Rolith stepped in to answer, "He's our medic in training. This is just as important field experience for him as it is for us." While Ruby was giving her friend an 'Oh' of understanding, Junn seemed to straighten up a bit, a tad less self conscious about his position.

"So Rolith, you gonna introduce us to your little friend," Vivor asked, chuckling playfully when she shot him a pouting glare at the label of 'little' that he had applied to her.

Rolith chuckled as well, causing to Ruby to pout some more and stick her tongue out at him. "This is Ruby, she's a friend of mine who lives in Falconreach."

"I remember her," Junn interjected, she was the one who you brought in a few years ago, right?"

Rolith looked at him in surprise, "Yeah, you remember that?"

Junn nodded his head, "Yeah, but only because my teacher wouldn't stop talking about how sorry she felt for her after you two left."

"Anyway, are you ready to head out," Valance asked Rolith, obviously itching to get their field work done.

"Yeah, just let me do one thing." Rolith reached up and grabbed Ruby by the waist, causing her to slightly jump in surprise, before picking her up off his shoulders and placing her on the ground. When she pouted at him, Rolith couldn't help but sigh and say, "You know you can't come with us, right? This is a squire mission."

"So," Ruby asked, a determined expression on her face, "I can be helpful."

Rolith shook his head, "No Ruby, you can't come." Thinking quickly for an explanation she might accept, he added, "Besides, if help us the knights might decide this little test was illegitimate, and it won't help us become knights ourselves."

Ruby looked down sadly, "Fine."

Rolith ruffled her hair, enjoying the annoyed puff of air he could hear escaping her mouth as he did so. "Don't worry Ruby, I'll tell you all about the Tree Forts when I get back, okay?"

Ruby slouched over, obviously not okay with him going on what she deemed a 'heroic quest' without her. Despite that, she groaned out a "Yeah, okay."

The four squires then all grabbed their supplies, made sure everything was in order, and began walking off towards their destination. They all turned back to Ruby, who waved back sadly, before making their way into the Forest and out of sight.

With them out of her line of sight, and her out of theirs, a smirk wormed its way onto her face. After all, she could still follow them, and the trees would make perfect cover so that they wouldn't see her.

* * *

As it turned out, those trees that perfectly hid her from the squires' view, worked perfectly well in reverse. That was the conclusion that a very lost Ruby Rose was quickly coming to as she wandered through Oaklore Forest.

Ruby was quickly beginning to regret trying to follow Rolith and his squad into the forest, she was lost, confused, and was starting to get hungry.

As Ruby wandered around the Forest, regretting her life choices up until that point, and looking for any landmarks that might lead her to a road to follow, she stumbled upon a strange sight. A small troupe of small, green, goblin creatures were marching in a single file, large wooden boxes, chests, and crates being either carried over their heads, or dragged behind them.

Ruby couldn't help but stop and stare at the odd sight. Sure, she had heard about Sneevils from knights and adventurers, but she had never actually seen one before. She stood behind a tree, transfixed at the sight of the sort-of, almost monsters, as they carried their stolen wares towards their base of operations, a Sneevil Tree-Fort.

Ruby's thoughts ground to a halt at that point. She was lost in the woods, and needed to find a way out. The easiest method to find a way out would be to look at Oaklore Forest from above. As she came to a conclusion, Ruby couldn't help but mutter to herself, "What better way to find a path out of here than to look around from a treefort?"

The long, pointed ears of a Sneevil near the end of the line twitched, and it suddenly spun around, halting the movement of most of the sneevils behind it. "Who dere!?" It shouted in broken English. It's shout put all the other sneevils on guard, and caught Ruby off of her's. The sneevils' beady eyes all honed in on her form, peaking out from behind a tree.

"You tryna take our boxes!" The sneevil who first detected her shouted, pointing accusingly at the young human. "Get boxes to fort, beat thief!"

At the sneevil's shout, half of the line grabbed the entire troupe's haul before speeding off towards their treefort. The other half, now relieved of their loads, unsheathed rough, jagged daggers, and began charging towards the offending human.

Ruby dived to the side, avoiding the leading sneevil's initial attack. As she righted herself, she pulled the stick she picked up earlier out of her belt. She jumped backwards again to avoid more frenzied, amateurish slashes.

Any time Ruby thought she saw an opening, it would be quickly filled by the bodies of frenzied goblins. What would easily dealt with enemies with amateurish combat skills became a major threat and force to be reckoned with due to the swarm tendencies the runts exhibited.

Ruby panickedly backpedaled, frantically searching for either an opening to strike, or an opportunity to flee. Eventually, Ruby managed to catch a break when a sneevil overextended itself, and tripped all of its cohorts.

Seeing a prime opportunity, Ruby rushed forward, stick sweeping through the air. She impacted the head of a rising sneevil, throwing it several feet from the tangled pile. She repeated this process with each sneevil who tried to remove themselves from the pile, until every last one of the frenzied swarm was lying unconscious nearby.

Ruby slumped over, panting tiredly, relief flooding through her body as she realized she just barely avoided major injury. Catching her breath, Ruby looked towards the direction that the others had run towards. She inwardly debated whether or not to keep dealing with the little ankle-biting monsters, before sighing tiredly. "I've already beaten up this many, may as well finish the rest."

* * *

Ruby eyed the entrance to the sneevil treefort. Two lightly armored sneevils armed with spears guarded the entrance. They were on full guard, obviously having been alerted by the ones who had run earlier.

Ruby looked around to see if there was anything she could use to easily beat the guards, or sneak in. After noting that there were only empty boxes and barrels around, she instead directed her focus to the guards to look for weak points.

She eyed their spears closely. They were of a better make than the daggers most sneevils used, the blades were straight, smooth, and most certainly sharp. However, they were also small and placed at the end of the wooded staff they were mounted on. The weapons were great for holding foes from a short distance, but if she could get in close, then they shouldn't be a problem.

Nodding to herself, Ruby crouched down low, partially getting into a sprinter's position, with her wooden stick held firmly in her right hand. Once the guard closest to her was looking in a different direction, she kicked off, and dashed to him. The sneevil barely had time to gasp as the stick caught him under the chin, throwing him off balance. Ruby then rose quickly spinning on her heel, before throwing all of her weight and momentum into slamming the stick into the side of the sneevil's head. The small green creature went sprawling, and the spear rolled out of sight.

This action, however, also alerted hi compatriot to Ruby's attack. Ruby tried to dodge to the side to avoid the stab, but her balance was off from her previous attack, and the spearhead cut through her upper arm.

Gasping in pain, Ruby jumped backwards, a potentially fatal mistake that she quickly corrected by falling onto her back and rolling as a spear thrust went overhead. Quickly rolling back onto her feet, Ruby grasped the bleeding wound on her left arm and winced. She then watched as the sneevil guardsman got himself back into a combat position and took aim at her form.

Seeing an opportunity, Ruby sidestepped the thrust before dashing towards the sneevil, and swung her stick into his arm. The sneevil instinctively let go of the spear with that arm, a moment of weakness that Ruby capitalized on by using her stick to knock the spear out of remaining hand.

Now disarmed, the sneevil's bravery seemed to disintegrate, it attempted to flee and call for reinforcements, but was quickly taken down by a quick smack to the head by Ruby's makeshift weapon.

With the guards down, Ruby took a moment to sit on a box outside the fort and pull out a roll of bandages that Rolith insisted she keep on her at all times. She cleaned and wrapped it using some water, before placing the roll back into her small side pouch.

Patched up, Ruby carefully crept into the treefort. She cautiously examined the ground floor, searching for opponents or interesting items. Seeing nothing threatening, she straightened up, but remained on guard. Seeing large numbers of boxes and bags lying around, Ruby decided to sift through them for anything that might be worth taking. After scrounging for items, and becoming eleven gold coins richer, as well as finding a small bag dried fruits, Ruby made her way towards the small ladder that led up to the next floor.

As Ruby slowly poked her head out of the hole in the second story's floor, she examined the room. She saw two sneevils standing in a corner, stacking several boxes on top of one another, and trying to keep them from falling over. To their right was another ladder, which led to the third floor. On their left was a rusty weapons rack, which held several old, damaged weapons.

Ruby debated whether she should just sneak past the two sneevils and up the ladder, or just attack them. She quickly decided to sneak attack the two, as it was too dangerous to risk letting them come up behind her later, or worse, join a swarm of sneevils in the enclosed areas of the treefort.

Creeping towards them, Ruby readied her stick, grasping it tightly in her hands. The sneevil on the left went down quickly, having neither seen nor heard the stick before it was too late. It's friend, on the other hand, took the toppling of its friend as a warning and dived to the side, unsheathing its daggers and preparing for battle.

The sneevil's beady eyes zeroed in on Ruby, its teeth were bared. It rushed forward, swinging the rough, dull daggers in its hands manically.

Ruby sidestepped the little monster, bending her body to avoid a dagger that tore at her shirt, but missed her side. Spinning with the momentum of her dodge, Ruby swung her stick into the back of the attacking sneevil's head. The goblin faceplanted into the floor, its daggers flying out of its grasp.

Ruby eyed the sneevil warily, however, after it made no movements for several seconds, she sighed in relief that it was likely unconscious. Turning her attention the the ladder, she began climbing up to the third floor of the treefort.

Examining the third floor revealed a door-like opening in the side of the tree, leading to a wood and rope bridge that stretched across the distance between two trees. Inside the room were two dagger wielding sneevils, and one spear toting sneevil. They were all cautiously looking around, debating whether or not they had actually heard something.

Ruby slid back down the ladder to the second floor. "Alright," she thought aloud to herself, "I don't wanna fight them all at once, how can I jump them?"

Looking around, Ruby decided to go through the ever present boxes of the treefort to see if there was either anything she could use as a distraction,or something to defend herself with. Opening up, a trunk, Ruby found something interesting, a small jewelry box. Its bright colors were eye catching, and it was small enough to fit in her hand. Opening it, she found it was empty, but it still had the slightly heavier stand that a ring would have once been held on.

Tossing the box in her hand, Ruby smirked as a plan entered her head. She crept back up the ladder, jewelry box clasped in her hand, she poked her head back out of the hole, and made sure the sneevils were still where she had left them. She then threw the small box past the heads of the sneevils, and clattered against a wall. The sneevils rushed over to the box, 'oohing and aahing' over how 'pretty' and 'boxy' it was.

Seeing an opening, Ruby dashed forward and quickly took out an unarmed sneevil with a quick strike to the head. The other two sneevils quickly turned around when their friend was taken down. Ruby dived to side when the sneevils lashed out with their weapons, striking the area she had been standing.

The dagger wielding sneevil was the first recover from his miss. He slashed sporadically at Ruby, who jabbed her stick forward, slamming it into the sneevil's chest. It staggered back as the air was forced from its lungs. Ruby went in for the finishing blow, but the sneevil unexpectedly lashed out again. One dagger sliced down her arm, leaving a long, jagged cut and eliciting a pained cry from the redhead. The other bit into her stick, severing it in half and rendering it useless. Ruby jumped forward, slamming what was left of her stick into the sneevil's forehead, and knocking it out.

Ruby was about to let her guard down when something in her peripheral vision reminded her about the spear toting sneevil that was also in the room. She dived forward, gasping as the spear grazed across her back, leaving a trail of blood. Rolling across the floor, Ruby unsheathed the Wheezy Dagger from her hip, and stood in a ready position, dagger held in a reverse grip in her right hand.

She and the sneevil spearman glared at each other, before both rushed forward, intent on striking the other down. The lessened reach damaged Ruby's combat prowess. Any attempt she made to stab at the sneevil was rebuffed by a stab, or knocked away by the butt of the spear.

She dodged several more thrusts from the goblin, sidestepping and diving out of the way of the weapon. Diving forward, Ruby tried to roll behind the sneevil to strike it from behind, but just received a bash to face for her efforts, and rolled backwards, somewhat dizzy from the impact.

Ruby shook the stars from her vision, as she sat up. Looking at her opponent, she saw the spear flying at her chest, ready to gore her. Time seemed to slow as the weapon flew towards her. Ruby desperately grasped around on the floor, trying to find anything she could use to defend herself. Her left hand found a rough, leather hilt that she promptly gripped. She threw up both hands, just barely managing to trap the incoming spear between her Wheezy Dagger and the newly grabbed Chipped Dagger.

Throwing herself to her feet, Ruby dived forward, twisting her daggers into the spear shaft, splintering it and removing the head from the weapon. The sneevil gaped in shock as the redhead effectively disarmed it. It then stopped gasping as she dashed forward, hammering her daggers' hilts into its head, causing it to fall to the ground like a doll with no strings.

With her opponents down, Ruby collapsed onto the floor. She was gasping for breath, trying to recover some of her expended energy. As she sat on the ground, she pulled her bandage roll back out, cleaning and patching her wounds before placing it back into her bag.

Dragging herself back onto her feet, Ruby glanced around the room, searching for any remaining enemies. Seeing none, she tiredly walked to the bridge. Looking around from her new vantage point, she failed to see anything of particular interest. Sighing, she glanced towards the other edge of the bridge. Hoping that she could see something from the other tree, Ruby carefully entered the next, and final room of the treefort.

Any attempt Ruby made at sneaking was ousted immediately when she gasped upon entering the room. A massive sneevil, about as tall as Rolith, and twice as wide stood proudly in the center of the room. Two rectangular short swords were held in his grasp, though the size of his hands made them seem closer to large daggers than swords. Colorful light armor protected his body, and a cardboard crown rested on his hand.

"WHO DARES APPROACH THE BOX LORD UNINVITED" the now titled Sneevil Box Lord roared, angered by the intrusion. "HUMAN! YOUR PRESENCE IS UNWANTED. YOU ATTACK MY PEOPLE, INTRUDE ON MY DOMAIN! PREPARE FOR DEATH!"

Ruby paled as the massive sneevil stood up, kicking his throne against the wall. She swallowed nervously as the Box Lord stalked towards her, clearly intent on taking her down. She flinched slightly, before diving out of the way as the Box Lord slashed at her previous location. She ducked and dodged around the room, avoiding the heavy slashes that the Box Lord sent her way.

Ruby frantically looked around, searching for openings, opportunities, defensive items, anything she could use to stave off the death that the Box Lord was trying to inflict upon her.

Her opportunity presented itself when the Box Lord over extended and exerted himself, stabbing his weapons into floor, and getting them stuck. As the Box Lord tried to pull his weapons out of the floor, Ruby charged forward, slashing at his undefended form. She left several cuts on his arms and legs, and tore through the outer layer of his armor. She was about to continue with her assault when the Box Lord's hand slammed into her body, throwing her across the room. She coughed as she sat up, watching as the Box Lord finally yanked his weapons from the ground.

"YOU FIGHT WELL, FOR A HUMAN," the Box Lord said, eyeing Ruby with considerably more respect and caution. "HOWEVER, YOUR EFFORTS ARE FOR NAUGHT. I SHALL REMEMBER THIS BATTLE CHILD, BUT IT ENDS HERE."

Ruby rolled out of the way as the Box Lord's weapons slammed into her original position. She then quickly pushed herself forward as he swept his blades to the side, trying to carve up the fleeing human.

She pulled herself to her feet, dodging strikes and trying to find another opportunity to strike. She ducked under a sweeping strike, and dashed forward, slamming daggers into his side. Her attack managed to pierce into the armor's side, drawing blood from the Box Lord. He swung to the side and kicked Ruby across the room.

Her back crashed into a pile of crates. The wood splintered under the force of her impact, scattering bottles and pellets across the floor. She let out a hacking cough, blood leaking from her mouth, as the Box Lord approached once more.

Seeming done with words, he skipped the dramatic speech and just rose his weapons into the air, preparing to impale the young redhead sprawled out in front of him. Ruby desperately grabbed some of the items that had fallen onto the ground, and chucked them into the Box Lord's face. The pellets exploded into an acrid smoke, surprising the large sneevil and causing him to begin coughing.

As his guard dropped, Ruby slowly pulled herself to her feet. She tightened her focus, holding the Wheezy and Chipped Daggers in reverse grips, before throwing herself forward, cutting into the Box Lord's unguarded chest. Her blades sliced easily through his armor, leaving deep cuts on his chest.

The Box Lord toppled over, grasping his chest, choking on smoke and blood. "*COUGH* Y-YOU HAVE BESTED ME, HUMAN. IMPRESSIVE." He gasped for air, before tossing his weapons to the side, "NOW, FINISH ME OFF."

Ruby shook her head, coughing some herself, before saying "No. I won't attack an enemy who can't fight back."

"HUMAN. IF YOU LEAVE ME ALIVE, I WILL CONTINUE MY OPERATIONS HERE. WILL YOU REALLY LEAVE ME ALIVE?"

Ruby thought for a moment before saying, "I'll leave you alive, but only if you swear to stop you treefort's heists, I don't wanna hear about you guys stealing anything else."

"AND HOW DO YOU PROPOSE WE GET BOXES. WE NEED MORE. WE ALWAYS NEED MORE."

Ruby looked at the Box Lord weirdly before saying, just buy them, like normal people. If you want I can talk someone into selling them to you.

"REALLY, YOU WOULD DO THAT FOR US? AFTER I TRIED TO KILL YOU?"

"Sure," Ruby said, shrugging tiredly, "I did break in."

The Box Lord laughed wheezily before shakily standing up. He shambled over to the throne he kicked into the wall and placed it back into position. He then collapsed into it before scooping up several of the bottles that had scattered across the floor. He handed three red and three blue bottles to Ruby, who took them with a look of confusion.

"Thanks, but, what are they," Ruby asked, looking at the bottles and there strange liquid."

"YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HEALING OR MANA POTIONS BEFORE." The Box Lord asked with a chuckle. "JUST DRINK ONE OF EACH. THE REDS WILL PATCH YOUR WOUNDS, THE BLUES WILL REENERGIZE YOU." Once he was finished explaining, the Box Lord began downing his own potions.

"Oh, thanks." Ruby said, uncorking a bottle as she sat down and started drinking. A warm feeling spread out from her chest, as her limbs stopped feeling quite as heavy. Once she started to feel better, she turned to the Box Lord and asked "Do you know how to get to Oaklore Keep from here? I only wound up here because I got lost."

The Box Lord shook his head and replied "NO, BUT I DO KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD." The Box Lord stood up, and pointed out the window behind his throne. "SEE THAT BUILDING OUT IN THE DISTANCE? THAT'S A SNEEVIL DOJO. ELITE COVERT OPERATIVES ARE TRAINED OVER THERE. IF ANYONE WILL KNOW HOW TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION, IT WILL BE THEM."

When Ruby began to question his suggestion, as well as the existence of "Elite Sneenjas," the Box Lord just grabbed his blades from their resting places on the floor. "HERE ARE MY BLADES, THE BOX CUTTERS. TAKE THESE, BOTH AS A SIGN OF MY THANKS, AS WELL AS A BADGE TO ALLOW YOU PASSAGE TO THE SHOGUN."

Ruby looked at the large, rectangular short swords in awe. "Thanks! I've never seen weapons like these before."

"INDEED, THESE ARE SACRED WEAPONS, OWNED SOLELY BY HIGH RANKING SNEEVILS. MAY THEY HELP YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY, HUMAN."

Ruby walked out of the treefort, before turning towards the direction of the Sneevil Dojo. She looked up, eyeing the sun which now hung low in the sky, "I hope Maryann doesn't get too upset for me for being late."


	6. Chapter Six

**AN: Whew, I might need to start dialing back on my upload speed. I keep trying to upload longer chapters within the same, currently daily intervals. So yeah, sorry but things will start slowing down production-wise. Anyway, this is the last half of the Oaklore Keep Sneevil questline, so tell me your thoughts on how I handled it.**

 **I got a few more reviews from guisniperman, thanks for that. As for your question about Ruby getting a scythe, it won't be until after the main story starts, but rest assured I'll make her first scythe one with a degree of importance.**

* * *

Chapter Six

As dinner time rolled around, Maryann found herself becoming annoyed. The first day she let Ruby not work lunch, and she was already late for dinner. Despite her annoyance, Maryann shrugged off the problem. After all, she probably just went too far out, she'd get back.

Halfway through the dinner rush, Maryann was irritatedly scrubbing the dishes, trying to balance dish washing with bussing, order taking, and cooking. Ruby still hadn't shown up, and Maryann was getting fed up with it. Ruby had a job, and she wasn't doing it. She decided that, once Ruby got back, she would receive a firm talking to.

After the dinner rush was over, and everything was done, Maryann was enraged. It seemed Ruby had blown off all of her responsibilities, and left Maryann all the work for the night. She shot a dirty look out the window, still not seeing any sign of the redhead. She closed the inn for services, before turning in for bed. She'd deal with her wayward tenant in the morning.

Maryann woke up in the morning with a bad mood. She dragged herself out of bed before shambling to Ruby's room. He rapped on her door, "Get up, Ruby." She waited a few seconds, before knocking on the door again. After not receiving a response either time, she whipped out her keys and used them to slam open the door. "Ruby! Get up and get to work!"

That was when Maryann took the time to take in Ruby's room. It was the same as always, only missing its occupant and her bag. As she took in the sight of the empty room, Maryann felt her anger melt away and be replaced by a pit in her stomach. Ruby hadn't returned at all, she hadn't been in town at all. Before she could even think, Maryann was rushing from her inn towards the Guardian Tower to ask for help.

* * *

Rolith and the other squires were in the clearing outside of Oaklore Keep doing their morning exercises when a Guardian came sprinting up to the from the East. "Hail, Guardian, what seems to be the problem." Rolith asked as he approached the lightly armored man.

"We've got a missing child. She's been missing for the past day. If you'd be willing to help search for her, or at least keep an eye out for her, that would be much appreciated."

Rolith felt concerned at the mention of a missing person, "Who are we looking for" he asked. The answer he received made his blood run cold.

"A young girl, roughly nine years old, black, red tipped hair. Her name's Ruby Rose, you'll know her when you see her."

* * *

Ruby Rose groaned as she climbed out of the tree she had slept in. Her hair was filled with twigs, and the bags under her eyes revealed how little sleep she had gotten. As Ruby tried to stretch the kinks out of her joints, she muttered to herself, "Ugh, I think even my dreams had splinters."

As she tried to loosen up her stiff muscles, Ruby ate some of the food the Box Lord had given her yesterday. It was quite fortunate that the promise of boxes was enough to befriend the large Sneevil, because otherwise she would have neither the supplies, nor the directions to get back home.

Gathering all of her supplies, making sure nothing was missing, and sheathing the Box Cutters to her hips, Ruby continuing in the direction that the Box Lord had pointed her in. She looked forward into the trees, hoping to see some sign of the Sneevil Dojo she had been pointed in. When she couldn't see anything, she just sighed before trudging on, hoping that this really was the right direction.

As she continued to travel on, the Forest seemed to grow thicker, the trees taller, and the light dimmer. Ruby began to feel somewhat paranoid, glancing around as she saw small figures in her periphery that seemed to fade whenever she focused on them. Not only that, but she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that someone was watching her.

Attempting to shake off the feeling, Ruby picked up the pace as she continued on her course. As she continued on, a dark shape began to become visible in the distance. Hoping that it was her destination, Ruby broke out into a run. However, right before she could reach the odd, darkly colored door, a large group of small, black shapes lept out from shadows, surrounding her.

As Ruby unsheathed her Box Cutters, a much larger shape lept off the roof of the building in front of her, and landed within the circle of figures, across from where Ruby was standing. As the figure rose, Ruby managed to focus on the appearance of these newcomers. They were all roughly the same size, being short, stocky, and boasting large pointed ears. They were garbed in tight fitting, dark black clothing, with light gloves and belts. They were armed with several different weapons, Ruby could pick out primarily ninjatos (short swords with a straight blade), sais (handheld, three-pointed weapons), tonfas (L-shaped pieces of wood used for bludgeoning and blocking), and hannbos (short wooden staffs) amongst the horde's weaponry. The large one, who was most likely the leader, was about a head shorter than the Box Lord, and he weared clothing that was similar to those of the regular Sneenjas that surrounded them. However, unlike his underlings, his clothing was oddly bulky, and his size allowed him to wield a bo staff (long wooden staff), as well as a katana (curved longsword).

"Why have you come here, human," the large sneenja asked, eyeing the redhead critically, sizing up how much of a threat she could be. His eyes noticeable held on the Box Cutters that she held in her hands. "You should know that this area is the territory of sneevils."

"Ah, I'm looking for the Sneenja Shogun, the Box Lord said that he'd be able to tell me how to get home," Ruby said, she thought for a moment before holding up the Box Cutters, "He also told me to show these to you guys to see him."

"Hmph, use your eyes, foolish human. Can you not tell that I am the Sneenja Shogun you seek?" Before Ruby could respond, the Shogun threw something into the ground, filling the area with smoke. As the smoke cleared, the area was devoid of sneenjas and the doors to the dojo were wide open. A voice seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once, "If you wish to seek my wisdom, you must first prove your worth. Make your way through my dojo and past my students to my personal chambers."

Ruby looked around in confusion before angrily kicking a pebble near her foot. "All I wanted was directions, why do I need to fight sneenjas for those?" She sighed in exasperation, already getting sick of the antics of Oaklore sneevils before entering the dojo.

* * *

The first thing Ruby noticed as she entered into the dojo was the architecture. The walls seemed to be made of wooden grids covered by what looked like paper. The floors were covered in strange mats made of a woven material Ruby hadn't seen before. Short shadows could be seen running past the walls, which were lit by unseen lights.

Ruby approached the wall to see if she could get behind it, until the Shogun's voice rang throughout the area. "Do not damage the shōji, human, stay on the tatami and travel through the dojo normally."

Grumbling to herself, Ruby turned back to the long passage of paper walls, or "shōji" as the Shogun had called it, and readied her Box Cutters for battle. As she stepped forward, a panel inscribed with designs of sneenjas battling mysterious entities, and stealing boxes, slid across the tatami, blocking her path. A single sneenja lept from the shadows, and readied itself for battle.

Once Ruby got herself into a ready position, the sneenja bowed respectfully to her, before waiting. Ruby, after a moment's thought returned the gesture. Once she had straightened back up, the sneenja dashed at her and slashed with its ninjato.

Ruby dodged to the side before stabbing at the sneenja's unprotected back. It flipped around in mid-air, parrying Ruby's attack before landing and dashing forward for another attack. Ruby's eyes widened at the skills displayed by the black-clad goblin, and just barely raised her guard in time to block the attack.

The sneenja somersaulted in mid-air before kicking off her guard, launching itself skyward. Its feet lightly impacted the ceiling, before kicking off and launching itself in a spinning slash downwards towards Ruby. She dived out of the way as the spinning death sneevil impacted the ground, it's ninjato biting into the tatami mat.

Seeing an opening, Ruby threw herself forward, slamming the hilts of her Box Cutters into the sneenja's head. He toppled over as the impact rattled his skull. Ruby then took the extra moment to kick his ninjato away from the sprawled out sneenja.

The dazed sneevil slowly got to its feet, respectfully bowed to Ruby one again, and retreated back into the shadows. After it retreated, the panel slid back across the tatami, allowing Ruby to continue forward.

Ruby proceeded forward for a while, before another panel slid across her path. This one had a similar design to the last one. After it had slid into a place, a sneenja wielding two sais rolled out of the shadows, bowed, and struck a battle pose. After Ruby returned the gesture it threw itself into battle.

The sneenja ran at Ruby, before trying to stab her with one of its sais. Ruby easily sidestepped the straightforward attack before retaliating with one of her own. The sneenja seemed to predict this as it too sidestepped her attack and retaliated with another simple jab. Ruby sidestepped again, eyes narrowing at the repetitive battle.

Deciding to try and throw the sai user off guard, she dodged another jab, but used her dodge to spin into a wide, sweeping slash towards the sneenja's back. However, this appeared to be what it was waiting for, as it spun on its heel, and used its sais to catch Ruby's Box Cutters between the middle and outer points. Before Ruby could react to this turn of events, the sneenja twisted its sais, ripping the daggers from Ruby's hands and throwing them to opposite sides of the arena. With Ruby disarmed, the sneenja backflipped into the air, kicking Ruby in the face on the way up, before axe kicking her on top of her head on the way back down.

Ruby saw stars as she toppled to the ground. The haze made it hard to see, but she could just barely see the sneenja approaching to finish the battle. Thinking fast, Ruby shot up and punched the sneevil right in the nose, catching it off guard, she then grabbed one of its sais, twisted it out of its hand, and held the pointy weapon to the sneenja's throat.

The panel withdrew from the area, and the sneenja backed up, bowed, and vanished back into the shadows. Dropping the sai and grabbing her dropped Box Cutters, and proceeded down the hall. After a short way, yet another panel slid into her path, and a sneenja wielding a hannbo slid in from the shadows. Now used to the pattern, Ruby bowed in tandem with the sneenja, before dodging to the side to avoid its initial strike.

The sneenja turned to follow her dodge, hannbo swinging and thrusting in an attempt to slam into the redheaded human. Ruby, however, continued moving to avoid the small figure's swings. On one swing the sneenja seemed to overextend, causing it to turn too far and show her its back.

Capitalizing on this Ruby went in for a slash, only for the sneenja to keep spinning. By the time Ruby noticed that the hannbo had slid until the sneenja only held the very end of it, the sneenja was already delivering a brutal swing to her ribs, sending her sprawling across the tatami, gasping for the air that left her lungs.

Seeing the sneenja coming in for a downward strike, the now breathless Ruby just barely rolled out of the way. She continued desperately dodging, trying to find a chance to catch her breath as the sneenja continued its assault. Jabs, thrusts, swing, strikes, the sneenja refused to give the girl a breather. It equally rebuffed any attempt she made to attack and drive it back.

Finally getting desperate, Ruby reached into her pouch and withdrew the Wheezy Dagger, before throwing at the sneenja. Caught off guard, the sneenja just barely blocked the blade, which sank a bit into the wood of its hannbo. Seeing this as her opening, Ruby dashed in, grabbing the Wheezy Dagger, and giving it a strong twisting push. The dagger tore through the hannbo, reducing the midsection to splinters. The surprised sneenja had no chance to retaliate before Ruby flew in, Box Cutters at the ready, and placed them in the position necessary for a kill.

The panel withdrew once more and the sneenja returned to shadows.

As she advanced on, Ruby came across a flight of stairs that led to the second floor. Looking around for any indication if that was the proper was to go, Ruby shrugged and ascended them. At the top there was just another hallway like the one on the floor below. "I had better be getting more than just my directions for this," Ruby grumbled as she pictured the numerous more battles she would likely have on this floor.

Suddenly a voice rang out from nowhere once more. "Fret not, human. There is just one more battle before you reach me."

Ruby perked up at that, "Oh, well that's good news. I was afraid I'd have to fight through three more opponents or something."

The voice chuckled and said, "I never said you wouldn't fight as many opponents, you know."

Two panels, one halting her progress, and the other preventing retreat, slid into place. The voice of the Shogun was proven truthful as three sneenjas took the tatami in front of her. One was wielding a ninjato, one was dual wielding sais, and the other held a hannbo. They all bowed to Ruby and prepared themselves for combat.

Ruby nervously returned her own bow and prepared herself as the three opponents lunged for her.

It didn't take long for Ruby to begin panicking. Unlike basic sneevils, who were threats in groups so long as they didn't disrupt each other too much, these sneenjas worked together with an obscene level of skill and grace. Any time one would attack, another would block Ruby's counter. If she dodged an attack another would come at her from that same angle. If she parried, another would attack from her new opening.

Ruby was covered in cuts from the trio, and had barely landed a hit to show for it. She was on the verge of just surrendering when an idea came to her. She quickly fell onto her back, just as the ninjato user launched itself at her. She then grabbed the Rough Dagger from her pouch, and threw it at the hannbo wielder. As it dodged the attack, not wanting to end up like the previous victim of that trick, Ruby rushed the sai user. She went in for a spinning slash on the sai user, who prepared to catch her Box Cutters mid-swing. However, Ruby flipped her daggers from reverse to normal grip at the last moment, giving her the extra reach necessary to slash the sneenja's arms. This occurred as her wrists entered the sais between the middle and outer spikes, allowing for her to hold onto them as the sneenja dropped them.

Kicking the disarmed sneenja out of the way, Ruby sheathed her Box Cutters and grabbed the newly stolen sais by the hilts. She then attacked the recovering ninjato user, who was too caught off guard to prevent his sword from being caught by the sais. With a strong twist and a light thrust the sneenja was out of the battle, and Ruby was richer one ninjato.

With her new sword, Ruby turned to face the final sneenja. The hannbo wielder had already launched itself at the redhead, going for a powerful thrust to the abdomen. Ruby just barely evaded the attack before swinging the ninjato towards the hannbo user's back. It spun around, parrying to strike, and prepared to deliver a return swing. However, Ruby rolled with the parry, going under the swing and delivering a swift upwards slash that severed the hannbo. A swift hilt smash to the head and an easy sword placement won Ruby the right to meet the Shogun.

As the panels slid back, and the sneenjas bowed respectfully to the one who bested them, a shōji wall at the end of the hall moved, revealing the Sneenja Shogun.

He lightly applauded the human redhead that had bested his students, "You have impressed me, human. Not only are you tenacious, but you are quite adaptable as well. You would make an excellent ninja."

"Err, mister Shogun, sir, I didn't come here for ninja training," Ruby said tiredly, worn out from the marathon battles she just went through.

"Huh, then why did the Box Lord send you to me with his symbol of acceptance?"

"I just want directions back to Oaklore Keep so I can stop being lost. Oh yeah, and I also somehow started trying to make peace between the Oaklore knights and the resident sneevils, or something. That just sorta happened after the Box Lord and I stopped trying to kill each other."

The Shogun looked down exasperatedly, "Of course. Why did I assume he would send you here for a reasonable purpose? Human, I can lead you to your keep if you so desire." At that Ruby perked up, excited to finally make it home, "However, if you wish to try and parley with our king, and establish peace between our people, then I could instead lead you to the Boxopolis, where he lives."

Ruby wasn't entirely excited to engage in peace talks when she could just be heading home, but…

"Well, I do want to be a hero. Lead the way to Boxopolis then, mister Shogun!" Her shout caused her to wince and grab her chest, "Though, do you think I could get patched up before we leave?"

The Shogun nodded to the young human, "Indeed, it would unbecoming of you to approach the King in any state but your best anyway."

* * *

As Ruby and the Shogun approached the Boxopolis, they were deep in conversation.

"So you're saying that these little pellets will help me in battle." Ruby asked, holding up a smoke pellet that the Shogun had given her.

"Indeed," the Shogun nodded sagely, "These will allow you to hide yourself in battle and get the drop on foes." The Shogun thought for a moment before reaching into his clothes and pulling out a small sheet of paper. "Here's instructions on how to make more, I already know these by heart, so you can have them."

"Thanks," Ruby said as she stuffed the paper and the small bag of smoke pellets into her pouch. "So, any advice on what I should when I'm face-to-face with your king?"

The Shogun thought for a moment before saying, "Before meeting with him, you must first get an offering. I've already sent word to the Box Lord asking him to bring a high quality box for you. He won't like parting with it, but if it will get him more boxes without effort, I believe he'll accept the loss."

"The Box Lord is coming too," Ruby asked, somewhat excited to see the large sneevil who gave her the Box Cutters. Before the Shogun could respond, a large crash and booming voice cut him off.

"INDEED, I, THE BOX LORD, HAVE COME TO AID YOU IN YOUR TIME OF NEED!"

"I see you're as unreasonably loud as always," The Shogun snarked at the other large sneevil, eliciting a sharp-toothed grin from him.

"HAH! YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS THAT MY GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL VOICE CAN BE HEARD FROM AFAR, UNLIKE YOURS."

"No, because unlike you, I benefit from not shouting my head off any time I talk."

Ruby watched the two sneevils bicker back and forth like a pair of children with a smile on her face. She found it oddly enjoyable to watch the two important sneevils acting more like children than the adults there size indicated them to be.

She pulled out of her thoughts as the Box Lord dropped a familiar jewelry box into her hands. It was the same brightly colored one that she had used to distract his final group of guards the other day. She looked up to him and asked, "Why this box. I mean it's pretty and all, but I'm not quite sure why you chose it in particular."

The Box Lord laughed at her question and flashed her a wide grin. "DO YOU THINK THAT I DIDN'T ASK MY SNEEVILS ABOUT YOUR ENTRY? YOU DID QUITE THE NUMBER ON THEM AFTER ALL. ANYWAY, SOME OF THEM SAID THAT YOU USED THIS BOX TO DISTRACT THEM, AND GET TO MY THRONE ROOM, SO I DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST FOR YOU TO USE IT GET INTO OUR KING'S THRONE ROOM AS WELL!"

Ruby looked down at the brightly decorated box before mumbling, "Good thing I didn't throw it too hard then." She then looked up at the Shogun and the Box Lord before asking, "Are we ready to meet with the king then?"

The two nodded to her, and made a beeline for the hole at the base of a massive tree that acted as the entrance to the Boxopolis.

As they approached, with Ruby following right behind, the armored, spear wielding sneevils moved to the side to give the three entry. As she passed, the guards eyed Ruby suspiciously, but made no attempt to stop her.

Ruby looked around the room. Much like the Box Lord's treefort, the Boxopolis was a series of rooms connected by ladders and rope bridges. However, unlike the treefort, the walls were lined with small containers of avery make and shape. Ascending the ladder, revealed even more boxes, barrels, and other containers.

Ruby looked in awe at the sheer number of containers the sneevils had gathered. Despite having been there before, her companions could be seen gazing around, jealousy clear in their eyes. Milling around the room were various, lightly armed sneevils. They would size Ruby up, and steal glances at the jewelry box she held, though they made no moves to obtain it.

Ruby and the two large sneevils continued to navigate through the massive treefort, traveling up through various trees, and crossing several rope bridges to get from one tree to another. Finally, the reached a rope bridge that led to a massive tree, almost as big as the one at Oaklore Keep.

The Shogun and the Box Lord stopped, and then stepped aside so that Ruby could go ahead of them. "As you are the one who wishes to speak with the king, you may go ahead. Remember to be polite, and to give him your offering before you speak," the Shogun advised, earning a nod from Ruby.

She nervously began crossing the rope bridge, which sat at a perilous height, and slowly approached the entrance to Sneevil King's throne room. As she slowly entered, the redhead took a moment to examine the room. The walls were lined with ornate, gilded boxes. The window at the back of the room let in light that reflected off of gold trimmings, giving the whole room a golden glow. At the center of the room was a throne, much like the boxes, it was gilded with gold at shined in the light.

Sitting on the throne, and watching her critically was the King of the Sneevils, Oaklore's Baron of Boxes, or, as his friends call him, Splurt. He was garbed in regal attire, a dark red cape seated on his shoulders, and furred apparel dyed in shades of blue and purple was wrapped around his body. Resting atop his head was a large, golden crown. The most striking aspect of the King's appearance was that he was even larger than the Box Lord or the Shogun, sitting at about the height of a full grown human adult.

The King's voice sliced through her examinations as it reverberated throughout the room, " **Approach, human, and state your purpose here.** "

Ruby carefully approached the king and gave him the jewelry box, before stating, "I have come to try and make peace between the Oaklore sneevils and the Oaklore Keep knights."

" **That's quite the tall order, child. What makes you think that you can convince us to cease our operations?** "

"Err, well. I can probably convince the Keep to give any boxes they no longer need, and to give you any boxes they receive in the future too. I know a few people up there, I'm certain they'll listen."

The King thought for a moment before saying, " **The keep recently received a shipment of rare, ironwood boxes. If you can convince them to relinquish those to me, then you will have your treaty, if not, then we shall continue stealing containers. Do we have a deal?** "

Ruby nodded her head, "I'll try my best. If I can convince them to give me the boxes, what do I do with them?"

" **The Box Lord and Shogun have already taken a shine to you, child, so I shall send them as my envoys. Give them boxes, and they shall accept the treaty in my name.** "

With her new task ahead of her, Ruby returned to the Box Lord and the the Shogun, "Alright, the King gives you guys the ability to accept a treaty, so long as we get some ironwood chests from the keep."

"IN THAT CASE LET'S GET A MOVE ON!" The Box Lord shouted as he rushed towards the exit. Ruby and the Shogun quickly followed behind.

* * *

An exhausted Rolith dragged himself back to Oaklore Keep at around sundown. He and several other squires had fought through several bandit camps, wild animal dens, and other locations trying to find any trace of the missing redhead. Unfortunately, they couldn't find a trace of her.

He looked back at the Forest, hoping to see something, anything, that might tell him where Ruby was. As he gazed at the woods, he noticed something moving towards the clearing. It was a large shape, about as tall he was, and noticeably wider. As it grew closer, he and the other knights and squires currently outside the keep could hear it crashing through the trees.

They readied their weapons for battle against the newcomer, should it prove hostile as it smashed its way through the treeline. The being's appearance made Rolith stare in shock. It was a massive sneevil, much larger than any he'd ever seen. It was dressed in flashy clothes, and possessed a crown that seemed to be made of cardboard. What was most surprising about it was the passenger it had riding on its shoulders.

It was the missing Ruby Rose, who was currently babbling at the giant sneevil about how awesome that ride was. Despite the distance, the sneevil's response could be heard quite clearly, "OF COURSE! I AM THE BOX LORD, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT MY PIGGYBACK RIDES WOULD BE TOP NOTCH!"

As Rolith watched the bizarre sight, another large shape moved from the shadowed trees. As it entered the light, Rolith identified it as a sneevil, though it was dressed in odd tight, black clothing.

As she looked over at Oaklore Keep, Ruby's eyes fell on the blonde squire, her face lit up happily as she waved frantically at Rolith, shouting "Hey Rolith! I'm back!" The sneevil set her down as she rushed towards the relieved blonde, slamming into him as stooped down to give her a relieved hug.

She looked at Rolith, before asking him a question that made him question her current mental stability, "Hey, think you could hook me up with some boxes, I need 'em."

* * *

Ruby, Rolith, The Box Lord, The Shogun, Sir Perior, a medic, and several knights found themselves in the highest level of Oaklore Keep, sitting around the noble Pactogonal Table. The Pactogonal Table was a wooden table that was shaped like a circle, with a triangular chunk taken out of one side, removing about a sixth of the circle's form. A small, round hole was located a bit above the center for some reason as well.

Sir Perior rubbed his forehead exasperatedly, sighing in resignation at the bizarre situation the redhead had brought back to the Keep. "So Ruby," he began, trying to get everything in order, "you've got a message for us from the 'King of Sneevils,' is that right?"

Ruby nodded seriously, "Yeah, he said that he'd be willing to make a peace treaty with you guys, in exchange for a few things."

"Before we get into peace talks, how did you end up talking to the King of Sneevils anyway," Rolith asked, confused as to how a nine year old managed to find a being who had eluded the knights for so long.

Ruby laughed nervously as she looked off to the side, "Eheheh, I just got lost, met the Box Lord, who sent me to the Shogun, who then sent me to the King. Along the way, this whole peace thing just sorta happened."

When Rolith looked at the Box Lord for confirmation, the giant sneevil just laughed and said, "OTHER THAN FORGETTING THE PART SHE AND I BEAT EACH OTHER HALF TO DEATH, SHE'S GOT EVERYTHING DOWN!"

Rolith was about to question the "beating each other half to death" thing, when Sir Perior cut him off. The man obviously wasn't too interested in dealing with the oddness that surrounded the situation, as he just asked, "What were the requirements for peace treaty?"

Ruby answered the exasperated captain's question, "They want Oaklore Keep to give them their excess boxes anytime they have them, supply them with other containers at least once a month, and they want the ironwood chests you guys got earlier."

"No," Sir Perior responded to the requests, "We can do the other things, but the contents of those ironwood boxes is worth too much gold for us to relinquish them."

Ruby was about to try and press the point when the Shogun, who had been silent until that point, spoke up, "We don't want what's in the boxes, just the boxes."

The knights seated around the table looked at the sneevil oddly, "Then what do you with the stuff in the boxes you steal?"

The sneevil just shrugged and said, "We dump it, that stuff is trash compared to containers it comes in."

"So you don't want the enchanted rings King Alteon sent us?"

"NOPE! JUST THOSE PRETTY BOXES."

"Why?" Sir Perior just couldn't understand why the sneevils were so focused on the boxes, it just didn't make sense to him.

The sneevil Shogun just shrugged at the knight captain's question and answered, "Asking why we need boxes is like asking why you need to eat. We don't know why need to have them, we just need them."

Ruby interrupted, trying to get the conversation back on topic, "Anyway, since they don't want the stuff in those Ironwood boxes, couldn't you just, move the contents and give them the boxes so that they can stop robbing people?"

Sir Perior sighed and said, "Fine, they can have the boxes," the Box Lord 'whooped' quite loudly at the captain's decision, "though we'll need time to work out the intricacies of any actual treaty."

The Shogun piped up once again, "That's fine. As our king's emissaries, either the Box Lord or I can stay and work something out while the other delivers the ironwood to our king."

Ruby wore a tired small as she watched the first major steps towards peace take place in front of her. Rolith rested a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention. "I don't know how you did it, or how you managed to get involved in these guys, but you did a good thing today, Ruby. I'm proud of you." Ruby's smile was radiant enough to light up the whole room, after all, bringing peace like this is quite heroic.


	7. Chapter Seven

**AN: Hello again, folks, and welcome back the Rose's Lore. I hope you all have been enjoying it so far, and that this chapter is also up to snuff. It will be on the shorter side this time around, as I'm just setting up character dynamics within Falconreach.**

 **Thanks got to swippee and guisniperman for the reviews on the last chapter.**

 **Swippee, I'm glad to hear that my summary and writing were enough to pique your interest. As for it being somewhat odd that people would just accept Ruby's claims of being from a place called Remnant, there is canon precedent for this sort of thing, and while the circumstances aren't the same, the knights of Oaklore Keep not being the smartest folks around helps with the acceptance. And I did make some major alterations to the Sneevil questline, the order of events and circumstances were altered to account for her current age, and the outcome was changes to account for Ruby's character. The overall childishness of the questline was present the original, but as anyone who played DragonFable can tell you, when dealing with sneevils, childishness is… expected to the say the very least. That'll probably get expanded on later when Ruby is introduced to a certain character. I hope you continue enjoying the story. That being said, your review did remind me that I've done more to flesh out Oaklore Keep than Falconreach, our main character's hub town, so I'll dedicate some time to that.**

 **As for your review, guisniperman, yep, Thyton will be quite pleased to know Ruby already has the makings of sneenja. Not quite good enough to be a ninja, but that can be easily fixed with training.**

 **Onto the fic!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

The sun was low and the sky was painted in hues of deep red and purple as Ruby trudged up to the door of Falconreach Inn. She had already said her goodbyes and parted ways with Rolith, the Box Lord, the Sneevil Shogun, and the knights of Oaklore Keep, before heading back to Falconreach. Now here she was, standing outside the inn, hand hovering over the doorknob, dreading the look on her landlady and caretaker's face when she stumbled in, after being missing for roughly two days.

Taking a deep, calming breath, the nine year old grabbed and turned the knob as she pushed open the door. She let out a nervous "I'm back, Maryann," before her vision was obscured by a brown apron and tan fabric. Almost immediately after that, a crushing force wrapped around her sore ribs, causing her to grunt in pain.

"Ruby!" Maryann shouted as she embraced the young girl. Collecting herself, Maryann stepped back and placed her hands on her hips, before gazing at the redhead sternly. "Where have you been, Ruby?" Her expression softened as she continued, "I was extremely worried about you, you know."

Ruby looked down, lightly scuffing one of her feet on the floor as Maryann looked at her. "Sorry, I got lost."

Maryann looked at her disbelievingly, "You got lost?"

"Yeah, very lost," Ruby muttered, wincing at Maryann's unconvinced face.

Maryann sighed as she looked at her young tenant, noting the numerous tears in her clothing, the bandages that could be clearly seen through the tears, and the dirt that coated both her skin and her clothes. "Go get yourself cleaned up and change into clean clothes, the dinner rush starts soon." Before Ruby could head up the second floor, Maryann added, "And drop those clothes off in my room later, I'll see if I can't repair those tears."

"Okay, thanks Maryann," Ruby said, still looking down, ashamed for having worried the innkeeper.

After cleaning up and changing into something that wasn't covered in dirt, Ruby returned to the lower floor and prepared for her cleaning duty. Dinner went by smoothly, Ruby was slower than usual due to being exhausted, but otherwise got everything done. After eating some food herself, Ruby left the kitchen and headed for the stairs, planning on heading right to bed. Maryann looked like she was going to say something, but seemed to decide to hold off on it after seeing Ruby's tired face.

Ruby made her way upstairs, opened the door to her room, and promptly collapsed onto her bed, going out like a light, as the events of the past two days finally took their toll on her body.

* * *

Ruby was still sore as she stumbled down the stairs the next morning, she collapsed into a chair as Maryann pushed a plate of food in front of her. Maryann then pulled a chair on the other side of the table and sat down, before watching as Ruby slowly ate her food.

Once Ruby was about halfway through eating, Maryann opened her mouth and said, "i don't want you leaving town at all for the next week, got it? And after that, I want you to only leave town with supervision."

Ruby almost choked on her food as she heard this, "What, why?"

Maryann looked at her sternly, "It's quite obvious that I can't trust you to go out on your own without putting yourself in severe danger." Maryann's face softened considerably before she continued, "I just don't want you getting hurt, Ruby, and as far as I can tell, that's all you did the past two days."

Ruby tried to protest, but Maryann just shook her off. "No Ruby. I know you want to become a hero, but you're still too young to be out looking for trouble. At least give yourself a few years before you put yourself in situations where death is a real possibility." Ruby's second attempt to protest was cut short when she saw the concern in Maryann's face.

Looking down in shame, Ruby felt herself tear up a bit, "Sorry Maryann. I didn't mean to worry you." Maryann lightly patted her on the head, earning an embarrassed blush from the girl.

"I know you didn't, but that doesn't change the facts of the situation."

With the serious talk done, the landlady and her tenant spoke of more lighthearted topics until it was time to prepare breakfast for the inn's patrons.

After her morning work was done, Ruby exited the inn and entered streets of Falconreach. Ruby looked around, trying to find something to do, or any interesting travelers to talk to. Wandering past the mayor's office and the barber shop, Ruby stumbled upon a little old lady and a little girl with bright red hair. They were in a small grassy area near the town's fountain, and were playing with several small animals.

Recognizing them as the local pet shop owner, Gramercy, or 'Grams' for short, and her granddaughter Aria, Ruby decided to approach and see what they were up to. Grams was a short woman,to the point where she was probably about as tall as Ruby currently was. She had grey hair that she often kept tied up and out of her face, and her face itself was that of the quintessential kindly old woman. She was wearing a wrinkled green shirt and blue pants. She also had a brown apron covering her waist, that was spotted with pockets, and a straw hat strapped to her back. Aria on the other hand was around four years old. She was at least a foot shorter than Ruby and Grams. Her short, bright red hair was tied into a small ponytail, and her brown eyes gleamed childishly as she played with some of the younger pets. She was dressed similarly to her grandmother, with her shirt being a tan color and a green skirt instead of pants.

Waving to them, Ruby raised her voice and said, "Hey Grams, hey Aria." The two turned to her and smiled as they waved her over.

"Hi Ruby!" The younger redhead was the first to greet Ruby, waving her arm excitedly before throwing herself at Ruby, the various small animals she had been playing with following suit.

Grams chuckled and greeted Ruby herself with a "Hello Ruby, how have you been lately?"

Ruby's muffled, "I've been better," emanated from the bottom of a pile of overly affectionate critters and an equally affectionate Aria, who giggled at the predicament she thrust upon the older girl.

Grams reached into the pile, and used a surprising strength to help free the nine year old from her confines. Straightening her clothes and hair, Ruby glanced at Grams with relief and gave her a simple "Thanks for that."

The old woman simply brushed it off with a "It was no problem deary. Now what was all the hullabaloo I heard about you the other day?"

Blushing, Ruby answered with a shy, "I got really lost and didn't make it back until a day later. Maryann was pretty upset with me."

Grams rubbed her shoulder comfortingly and said, "I'm certain she was. She cares about you quite a lot, so you probably had her extremely worried."

"I know, but that just made me feel worse while getting scolded."

Before their conversation could continue, the smaller redhead lightly punched Ruby's side while shooting her an irritated look, "Play with me Ruby," she whined.

Chuckling at Aria's antics, Ruby gave in and decided to spend some time hanging around the elderly Beastmaster and her granddaughter.

* * *

A little after noon, Ruby helped Grams and Aria return the now tired animals to the pet shop. Once they had been returned, Aria grabbed a hold of Ruby's hand and dragged her towards the door.

Grams smiled at the girl before asking, "And where do you think you're going?"

Aria turned around with a wide grin before saying, "We're visiting Daddy!"

"Well, alright then." Grams turned to Ruby, "Please keep an eye on her for me."

Ruby used her free hand to give Grams a cheerful salute, "Don't worry, I've got this."

Leaving the pet shop, Aria practically dragged Ruby Westward and into the local smithy. The place was much the same as it had always been. Basic weapons lined the walls, displayed for the general public should they want to purchase one. Rarer and enchanted weapons were displayed behind the counter, where Yuglar was writing in the business ledger.

Upon hearing the door open, Yuglar looked up from his work, and smiled when he saw the two girls enter. "Hey Aria, how are you doing," he asked as his young daughter released her captive and ran up to him.

As he gave his daughter a light hug, he looked over at Ruby and greeted her as well, "Hey Ruby, how are you doing?"

Ruby flashed the blacksmith a grin as she walked up the counter, "I'm doing fine." She looked around a bit, before noticing something, or rather someone was missing. "Where's Brimme, she's not in the back is she?"

Yuglar shook his dead, his face becoming slightly melancholic, "No, I made her stay in bed today. She hasn't been doing too well recently, but she keeps forcing herself to work over the forge."

"Oh," Ruby said, developing a concerned expression, "Tell her I said that I hope she gets well soon."

Yuglar nodded and said, "I will, she'll probably be glad to hear you're thinking of her." He then looked back at Aria, who was currently tugging on his pant leg, begging him to play with her. "Sorry Aria, but I've got work to do, I can't play with you."

"Come on, please?" Aria begged her father, still attempting to pester her father into playing with her.

Yuglar sighed fondly as he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook his head, "Sorry Aria, I really don't have time. I'll play with you after work."

Aria pouted, but backed down regardless. "Fine." In response, Yuglar just sighed tiredly, not having the energy to handle his fun loving daughter.

Seeing this Ruby turned to him and asked, "Do you need any help around the shop while Brimme is sick? I could watch the place while you play with Aria for a while."

Yuglar turned to her and said, "Not that I'm not grateful for the offer, but I doubt you're qualified to help with anything I wouldn't need to assist you in doing."

Ruby pouted and said, "I can help the shop. I could sell basic weapons, I could right down custom requests, I could fill out repair requests, it would be easy."

"Manning a shop isn't that easy Ruby."

Ruby puffed her chest out confidently and said, "Maybe not, but it won't be hard enough to stop Ruby, friend of the Box Lord."

Yuglar stared at the nine year old blankly for a second before blinking and sighing again, this time in exasperation, "Fine, oh great 'Friend of the Box Lord,' I'll play with Aria for an hour and come back. Please try not to mess anything up."

Ruby saluted Yuglar and said, "Don't worry, I've got this."

* * *

An hour of jotting down the occasional order and attempting to stave off the temptation to touch and examine every pointy instrument of combat and death available found Ruby standing proudly behind the smithy's counter as Yuglar looked through the orders a she took, and checked to make sure all of his wares were in order.

Nodding as everything appeared to be in good condition, Yuglar turned to Ruby and said, "Huh, I guess I really could have trusted you. Good job."

Ruby swelled with pride at the blacksmith's praise. She grinned at him and said, "I told you I could handle it."

Smiling back at her, Yuglar reached into his pouch to pull out some money, "Let's see, how much to give you for an hour of work?" As Yuglar began to mumble to himself as he counted out some gold coins, Ruby interrupted him.

"You don't need to pay me, I'm happy to help out," Ruby said as she waved off the man's attempt to pay her, a happy smile on her face.

Yuglar shook his head and said, "I'd feel like a bad person if I didn't repay you in some way though."

Ruby was about to retort some more when a wayward thought entered her mind. She froze, before turning to Yuglar and saying, "I have an idea on how you could repay me, and how I could keep helping out." At Yuglar's question look, Ruby continued, "I want to learn how to make weapons, and I want you to teach me, please."


	8. Chapter Eight

**AN: [ATTENTION] Chapter One and the Prologue have been merged into one document and the original Chapter One page has been deleted. This is an actual new chapter, numbers just line up now.**

 **Thanks to Mysterioustgexpert and guisniperman for the reviews.**

 **Yep Mysteriostgexpert, smithing skills are important, and the ability to forge high quality weapons using materials will be something useful for giving Ruby a varied arsenal once she gets into adventuring, without it coming off as forced or out of nowhere.**

 **As for your review, guisniperman, Yup, Yuglar and Aria are father and daughter. You also get to see Yuglar's wife and Aria's mother, Lark, in a quest from B3 Falconreach's pet shop. Spoilers, she's dead. As for your comment about Sepulcher and his daughter Gravelynn, the tyke is adopted, Sepulcher's been doing his whole pointy villain thing for a while, though he hasn't made any major moves yet.**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

Falconreach's local smithy was experiencing a normal afternoon. Business was slow, but steady. The brunette blacksmith, Yuglar, tended to the customers as they came in looking for both weaponry and basic metal tools. Clangs could be heard emanating from the back of the shop, telltale signs that the smithy's forge was in use.

A twelve year old Ruby Rose was at work in the back, hammering away at a piece of red hot iron. Over the past few years, she had been taught a lot about basic metallurgy by Yuglar. He had started by teaching her about basic forge and material maintenance, followed by the basics of fueling a forge's fire, as well as the retaining of its heat throughout the process. At the time, Ruby was only allowed to help Yuglar while he was smithing himself, mostly by fetching materials and keeping the forge as hot as necessary.

About half a year into her lessons, Yuglar finally taught her how to craft something. It was only small, iron nails, as well as other basic construction materials, but Ruby was happy to finally start shaping metal. At first her work was sloppy, nails would come out crooked, or uneven, hooks wouldn't be round, and hinges would only be functional half the time. Not only that, but she was slow, and her work resulted in a lot of wasted metal.

As time went on, Ruby improved her work on the small crafts. She'd be able to craft more nails from a single ingot, each of them relatively straight. Hooks were rounded, and smooth. Even her hinges, despite still not being perfect, would always move, though not always smoothly.

A year into her lessons, Ruby was taught how to make larger tools. Shovels, pitchforks, hoes and other assorted work and farming tools were added to her repertoire of known crafts. Her very first rounds of these tools went smoother than her first time ever smithing items. Despite how rough they were, the handles were mostly straight, the prongs of the pitchfork were sturdy, and the shovels and hoes were sharp enough to pierce the earth.

As she worked on the basic smithing crafts, gaining finesse as she did. Yuglar appraised any items she produced. Anything that was below average in craftsmanship would later be melted down to reclaim as much of the material as possible so that it could be reused. The tools of sellable quality were put into the stock, and a split of the profits earned from those items went to Ruby.

Once two years had passed in her training, Yuglar final taught an excited Ruby how to make her first weapon, a basic iron dagger. Despite the simplicity of the craft, Ruby was overjoyed at the prospect of forging her very first weapon. The process was slow as Ruby carefully crafted her first dagger. Due to the slow speed of the process, a lot of the ingot's metal was wasted. The dagger was simplistic in nature, featuring a straight blade attached to a simple hilt and guard. Naturally, this basic, passable weapon was Ruby's favorite thing ever.

After daggers were swords, after that she learned to make spears, after those were axes, then maces, then warhammers, and then scythes. Ruby was euphoric as she learned how to make more weapons. The first of any weapon that she made found its way to a display rack, which Ruby proudly put against an open wall in her room back at the inn.

And now, three years into her training, Yuglar was preparing to teach her how to work with steel. Refining iron into steel was something Yuglar had already taught her, but this was the first time he was going to teach her how to work with it.

Ruby left the smithy, waving goodbye to Yuglar, as she ran over to the inn so that she could get ready for her nightly kitchen work. However, as she entered the inn, she saw something that made her pause. Maryann was handing a young blonde woman a keyring while thanking her profusely. Confused, Ruby approached the innkeeper and the mysterious stranger while they were still conversing. As she approached, Ruby took notice of a few other things, like the large bag Maryann was holding, as well as the stranger's lack of any bags or pockets to carry things in.

"Hey, Maryann, what's going on?" Ruby looked at her landlady with concern as she saw the worried look on Maryann's face. The innkeeper wrung her hands worriedly as she saw the redhead approach. What worried Ruby even more was that the stranger eyed her oddly, as if she wasn't expecting her to be there.

"Oh, Ruby," Maryann said as she saw her approach, "Sorry but I'll be out of town for a while. My mother is sick so I need to go take care of her." Maryann gestured towards the blonde stranger, who was now smiling, not a single trace of her earlier expression visible, "This is my friend Sabrina, she'll be running the inn while I'm gone." She then turned to Sabrina and gestured to Ruby, "This is Ruby Rose, she's my dishwasher and a permanent resident of the inn."

The stranger, now named Sabrina, smiled at Ruby and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you Ruby, I'm Sabrina. As Maryann said, I'll be taking care of the inn while she's gone." Despite the friendly airs she put up, something about the woman set Ruby on edge, everything about her seemed off, artificial, fake.

Ruby cautiously shook the offered hand, trying to hide her suspicions of the woman, and introduced herself. "Err, hello, I'm Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you." Ruby was quite certain that she didn't hide her caution about the woman well as the end of her introduction rose up in a questioning lilt.

Maryann broke up any tension that may have been forming between the two by giving Ruby a quick hug, "I'll be going now, I need to make sure my mother is okay after all." She looked at Ruby and said, "Be sure to keep up your duties around here alright," at Ruby's affirming nod, Maryann returned one of her own and said, "thanks, I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that, Maryann went out the door with a wave, running up the hill towards the Guardian Tower with the hope of hitching a ride on a town griffon to her hometown.

Now alone, Ruby and Sabrina glanced at each other, neither exceptionally pleased to see the other, and neither willing to reveal that fact. After half a minute of silence, Ruby finally broke and said, "Well, I'd better go get cleaned up for dish duty."

Nodding at the twelve year old's statement, Sabrina added on a "And I should begin preparing dinner."

The two parted ways, heading towards the rooms that held the amenities required for their current tasks,

* * *

The next day, Ruby went through her normal routine, getting cleaned up, dressed, and getting to work. Once she was finished with her morning activities, Ruby headed out into Falconreach and made a beeline for the smithy.

"Hey Ruby," Yuglar said as she entered the smithy, "You ready for more lessons today?" He frowned when Ruby shook her head.

"Sorry Yuglar, but I need to do something else today."

Yuglar looked at the redhead curiously before asking, "What could be major enough for you to change your plans for the day? Yesterday you were quite excited about getting into steel working."

"Maryann is out of town and she asked a woman named Sabrina to watch the inn for her." Ruby's voice had audible distrust in it as she mentioned Sabrina, and Yuglar took note of it.

Yuglar looked down, his face scrunched up thoughtfully, "That's odd. I've know Maryann for several years, and I've never heard of this 'Sabrina' before."

Ruby's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she said, "Yeah, neither have I."

Ruby spent the first day of Sabrina's stay plotting the best method to gather information without being noticed. Naturally, her first instinct was to go through the woman's room while she worked.

Ruby soon found herself sneaking around the back of the inn, and climbing up a tree. She crept across a tree branch, before leaping to her room's window. Climbing through the window, Ruby slid onto the floor, carefully opened the door, and snuck into the hallway.

She looked around, checking for patrons or Sabrina, before creeping towards the room Sabrina was staying in while Maryann was away. That was when Ruby ran into a barrier she hadn't thought of before putting her plan into action, Sabrina's door was locked, and Sabrina was the only one who currently had the master keyring.

Feeling disappointed in herself, Ruby slunk back out of the inn the way she had come in, and began to explore town, hoping to find something that could help her get into the room. As she wandered through town, a couple of shadowy figures caught Ruby's eye.

Two young men sat in the shadows between the mayor's office and the barbershop. They were dressed in rough leather armor and dark hoods. Their faces were hidden by masks, and their hands were concealed within dark gloves. A single bag was lying empty and forgotten beside them.

As Ruby approached, she could pick out bits and pieces of their muffled conversation. "... no money, no tools…"

"... how are we… nothing else for it…"

"... just give up… doomed."

"Hey!" Ruby called to the two young men, causing them to jump in shock and turn towards the newcomer. They eyed her as warily as she eyed them as she approached. When Ruby finally got close enough she asked, "What are you two up to?"

The two tensed and glared at the twelve year old who had encroached upon their conversation, "What's it you brat?" the one on the left asked grouchily.

Ruby put her hands on her hips and looked at them suspiciously, "I'm gonna be hero, so if you're up to no good I'll beat you up and turn you over to the Guardians."

The man on the left looked to be about to make a snarky comment in response when his companion cut him off with a sigh, "We may as well tell her, Dirk."

The now named Dirk swung around to glare at the man on the right, "What!? You gave in to her threat that easily Rat!?"

The man on the right, or 'Rat' as he was apparently named, shrugged and said, "What else can we really do? We've got no money, no supplies other than a few lockpicks, we don't even have a map anymore after we got caught in that rain a few days ago." He let out a defeated sigh before continuing, "Face it Dirk, our adventure is done, our dreams are over."

"Damn it Rat! Pull yourself together," Dirk placed his hands on Rat's shoulders and looked straight into his eyes, "Remember all the time we've spent planning this? All those nights spent researching the best places to earn our wealth? All that time spent gathering our supplies? We can't just back down now, not after everything we did to come this far in the first place!"

Rat was frozen by his companion's passionate stare, soaking in his words. Once Dirk's powerful speech was complete, Rat felt a tear well up in his eye, he looked down, discreetly wiping it away, before returning Dirk's gaze with a serious look in his eyes, "You're right. I'm sorry for being so weak Dirk." Rat passionately thrust his fist into the air, "We've got this in the bag! All we need is some supplies, and then those riches will be ours!"

"That's the spirit! Now, onward to our victory!"

Two's passionate yelling was interrupted by a confused Ruby, "Umm, so what exactly are you two up to?"

The men stopped before turning to each and whispering conspiratorially to one another. Ruby felt herself begin to sweat nervously as the two turned to her and said, "Since you've already heard too much…" Before she could react, two pairs of arms grabbed her and dragged her into the shadows.

Ruby struggled in the grips of the young men, trying to pull herself free, until she was unexpectedly released and fell onto the ground in front of them. She glared up at them, about to shout angrily at them, but they began to talk before she could.

"We," Dirk began before dramatically, "are Rat and Dirk, treasure hunters extraordinaire!" He struck a dramatic pose as he said this.

"And we," Rat continued for him, striking his own dramatic pose, "are the men who shall gain riches to rival those of King Alteon himself!"

"Adventures, travels, journeys! Wherever treasure can be found, we'll go there and claim it for ourselves!" Dirk shouted, his tone full of passion and determination.

"No matter the defenses," Rat followed up, his tone equally passionate, "We shall crack them and take the treasures, the money, and prizes for ourselves!"

The two paused dramatically, before swiftly striking a joint, dramatic pose, arms stuck straight out and crossing each other in the shape of an 'X.' They were crouched down, one leg bent in front of them, the other stretched out behind them, their legs crossing diagonally. Much like their arms. "We are Rat and Dirk! And we shall gain the riches necessary to buy this whole world!"

The two eyed Ruby expectantly, obviously hoping that she would be as starstruck as possible at their declaration. They were not disappointed. "Whoa, that's so cool." Ruby looked dazed as she said that, causing the men to puff up proudly at their ability to impress twelve year olds.

Their energy was short lived as Ruby shook her head and asked a question, a confused expression on her face, "But wait, how do you plan on doing that? Didn't you two say you had no money earlier?"

Rat and Dirk deflated at her question, "Yeah, we blew it all on supplies, but we lost it all when a group of bandits jumped us last night."

Dirk rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Yeah, we were planning on picking some up in town, but we don't have enough to get anything. Now the only we have are lockpicks."

"Lockpicks?" Ruby's face was twisted in confusion as she questioned the term she hadn't really heard before.

"You never hear of lockpicks, kid," Rat asked. At Ruby's shaking head, he proceeded to pull out two small pieces of metal, one long piece of metal with a flat grip, and one long, bent piece of metal. "These are lockpicks, they can be used to open weak or uncomplicated locks without a key. You just insert them and try to turn all of the tumblers that the key is designed to move when turned."

Ruby was struck by the realization that she had just stumbled upon the answer to her predicament with Sabrina's room. She grinned a bit as she reached into her belt and pulled out her coin pouch, Rat and Dirk watching in confusion.

Ruby pulled out some coins, not able to contain her grin, "I'll give you guys the money you need to buy supplies in exchange for some lockpicks and lessons on how to use them."

Rat and Dirk turned to each other, and seemed to come to a silent agreement. They nodded to one another and turned to the redhead, "You've got a deal, kid." Ruby and the men shook hands, solidifying their agreement.

They spent the rest of the day showing Ruby the ins and outs of lockpicking. As dinner rolled around, and Ruby needed to return to the inn to work, the three parted ways amicably. Ruby placed the lockpicks into a small pouch on her belt, trying to hide her smirk as she entered the inn. Tomorrow, she would continue her investigation of Sabrina.

The next day after cleaning the breakfast dishes, Ruby snuck onto the second floor in the same manner as she had the previous day, climbing up the tree and into her room. She crept down the hall, carefully watching out for Sabrina or patrons, and reached the door.

She withdrew her newly procured lockpicks, and carefully inserted them into the lock. She poked, prodded, jabbed, nicked, tapped, and turned the picks in the lock, trying to get it to turn. Eventually, as she jiggled the lockpick against an inner mechanism, she heard a soft click. Slowly, she turned the lock, allowing the door to swing open. Ruby crept into the room, being as cautious as possible. When she fully entered the room, she saw something that she was wholly unprepared for. Nothing.

Ruby looked around in confusion. Nothing. Under the bed. Nothing. The wardrobe. Nothing. The chest at the foot of the bed. Nothing. Ruby looked around the whole room, and yet she couldn't find a trace of anything. It looked as if the room wasn't in use, despite Ruby being completely certain that this was the room Sabrina had exited just that morning before starting up work.

Ruby left the room, locking the door behind her. She thoroughly weirded out by the lack of anything in the room. The bed was completely neat, as if it hadn't been slept in, and there weren't any clothes in the room.

The whole thing rubbed Ruby the wrong way, especially when combined with the circumstances around Sabrina's sudden and unannounced appearance, and the odd, artificial way she acted. Ruby climbed out her window, down the tree, and back into town, deep in thought about her continued investigations of Sabrina.

She failed to notice the brown eyes that watched her from a first floor window within the inn, or the thoughtful frown that accompanied it.

"That girl might be a problem later," Sabrina said as she watched the redhead wander off.


	9. Chapter Nine

**AN: Hello again folks! Thanks to everyone who has been following this story so far, as well as to anyone who's just been glancing through! Fret not, those who have been waiting, action once again returns this chapter. Not only that, but next chapter, Chapter 10, should be the final one before I jump into the first leg of the main storyline. All that needs to be done is one last character introduction, as well as some interaction between her and Ruby, and I can skip a couple years to the story's true start. Hope you're excited, because I am.**

* * *

Chapter Nine

The next day found one Ruby Rose leaning up against the outer wall of the Falconreach smithy, contemplating how she could find information about Sabrina. She had reconfirmed that the room was indeed in use by the mysterious blonde, and had even rechecked the room for anything she may have missed. Much like the day before, the room was in impeccable shape, as if no one was currently staying in it.

The townsfolk bustled around her as she thought, occasionally sending greetings her way, which she would then absentmindedly return. Visitors also made their ways through town, stopping by shops that held items they needed, before heading back home or to whatever destination they were traveling to.

One such visitor to Falconreach was a large, brown haired farmer, and his scrawny, ten year old son. "Now son," he said, standing outside the Falconreach smithy, "I'll be purchasing the tools and supplies we need, while I do that feel free to explore town. Just don't get too far and meet back up with me at the inn this evening, you understand?"

The young boy, who shared brown hair and eyes with his father, nodded as he looked around cautiously, not entirely comfortable in the busy town. "Okay Dad."

The farmer clasped his hand around his son's shoulder comfortingly and said, "No need to be so nervous, son, I've been to Falconreach quite a few times and the people here have never been anything but friendly. You'll be fine." The farmer's son just looked down and gave the man a shaky nod.

"I'll try to calm down, Dad."

Sighing, the man turned towards the door to the smithy. Before opening the door, however, he looked at his son and said, "You know, there are a few kids who live in town, I don't know how close they are to your age, but I'm certain that you could play with them if that would make you less nervous." With his advice given, the farmer entered the smithy, leaving his shy child to his own devices.

The farmer's son took in a shaky breath, preparing himself for exploring the town on his own. He briefly considered just following his father around, from a distance of course, but tossed the idea out. Despite his shyness, the boy really didn't want to risk disappointing his father should he be found out. Steeling himself, the boy walked out into the main square of the small town, hoping to find something that would preoccupy him until it was time to meet back up with his father.

As the boy walked into town, something red in the periphery caught his attention. Leaning on the side of smithy was a girl, roughly his age, maybe a year or two older, was a girl with red tipped black hair, and clothes that came in those two colors. She seemed to be lost in thought.

The boy considered just not bothering her, but decided to introduce himself, if only so that he could tell his father that he had indeed spoke to someone in town. As he approached her, he noticed that her eyes were a strange silver color. Once he was close enough, the boy waved his hand and said, "Err, hello there."

* * *

Ruby was pulled out of her thoughts by the sounds of an unfamiliar voice greeting her. She looked up from the ground to see a scrawny boy with brown hair and eyes looking at her, or at least trying to if the fact that his eyes were constantly moving to focus on other things was any indication.

"Oh, hello," Ruby returned, nodding curiously at the nervous kid.

Ruby's acknowledgement of his existence seemed to make the kid more nervous because he stuttered out a "m-my name i-is Ash, n-nice t-to m-m-meet you."

Ruby stretched out her hand and said "I'm Ruby Rose, nice to meet ya too." Once Ash had shakily shaken her hand she continued, "So, what brings you into town?"

Seeming to calm down a bit at the familiar topic, Ash answered, "My Dad's a farmer. I'm exploring town while he's buying stuff." Having answered the question, Ash decided to try and learn about his conversation partner, "So, what are you doing?"

Ruby sighed tiredly, "I am, or was, trying to come up with some way to investigate Sabrina. She's a weird lady who just showed up the other day and took over the inn until Maryann gets back." She crossed her arms and looked upwards, exasperation clear on her face, "The only problem is I can't think of anything other than breaking into her room, and I've done that twice now."

Ash looked at her curiously and asked, "Have you tried asking around about her?"

Ruby shrugged and said, "Yuglar says he never heard of her before, but he's the only one I've asked, why?"

"Why didn't you ask anyone else? Don't you think that someone might know something," Ash asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

Ruby opened her mouth to retort, before actually considering the question. Her face turned a light red as she looked away, embarrassed. "I, uh, I didn't really, think about that."

Seeing an opportunity to idle the day away, and help someone else, Ash made a decision that would change his entire life, "Would you mind if I helped with that?"

* * *

The redhead and her brunette companion made their rounds through the town, questioning everyone who had the time to answer. Person after person, townsfolk, travelers, merchants, everyone available was asked. And they all had the same answers, "Never heard of her," "Don't think I've met someone like that," "Who? Never heard of 'em," and "I just met her the other day."

The sun was high in the sky by the time the two decided to stop for a break. Stopping by the town fountain, using it refill on water, and conferring on their methods of intelligence gather.

"Well this has been a massive failure," Ash moaned as he rubbed the back of his head tiredly. Screwing his face into a more thoughtful expression, he said, "Still, hard to believe that no one knows who she is, you'd think that someone would know about her."

"Seriously," Ruby groaned, frustration quite clear in both her face and tone, "It's like she just popped out of nowhere." Ruby frowned, her brows furrowed as she glared into the distance, before sighing "I think we've learned nothing but that Sabrina is even more suspicious than I first thought."

Ash struck a thoughtful position, his right hand cupped under his chin and brows furrowed thoughtfully, "I think what we to find someone old, old enough to know almost everyone who may have ever passed through here. That's the kind of person who might know her. You know anyone like that?"

Ruby snapped her fingers in realization, "That's it! We'll talk to Grams. If anyone would know if someone like Sabrina has ever been seen before, it would be her." Quickly turning towards the town's Eastern entrance, Ruby waved her hand towards Ash, "Come on, Grams works at the pet shop."

Ruby opened the door and stepped into the pet shop, Ash following behind her and admiring the wide range of both local and exotic animals that the old woman kept. As she entered, Ruby looked around, trying to spot Grams, or at least Aria, who would likely know where she was.

While Ruby looked around the room, Ash vocalized her current question, "Where is she? Didn't you say that this Grams person worked here?"

"Yeah," Ruby nodded, her gaze growing concerned as she couldn't find either of the shop's usual residents. Cupping her hands over mouth, she shouted into the shop "Grams, Aria, are you guys there?"

A short figure shambled out from the back in response, concern marring her face as her eyes met Ruby's, "Ah, Ruby, it's good to see you." Grams's voice was quiet and tired, making her sound far older than she usually did.

"Grams, what happened," Ruby asked, growing concerned by the combination of Grams's concern and the room's continued lack of the redheaded child.

Grams looked down, her small body looking far more frail than Ruby had ever seen it. "I can't find Aria anywhere, she wasn't in the back, she wasn't with her father, she isn't anywhere."

Ruby and Ash traded concerned looks, the old woman's claims being unsettling, Ash stepped forward and broached the question, "Do you have any idea where she could have run off too? Any places where she could have wanted to go?"

Grams shook her head sadly, "I took her out into Surewood the other day, but she returned without too much resistance. There were one or two caves she wanted to explore, but she wouldn't run off into one, would she," Grams's last statement rang hollow, as her voice raised questioningly at the end. It would seem Grams herself knew that fact as she seemed about to break down, shaking a bit as she said, "Who am I kidding, that girl is just like her mother, strong willed, fearless, willing to push her limitations beyond what she's capable of."

Ruby placed a comforting hand on the old woman's back, helping her pull herself together at least somewhat. "Don't worry Grams, I'm certain she's okay. Have you told the Guardians yet?" At the old woman's shaky denial, Ruby said, "Then go do that, while you do, I can go check those caves you visited with Aria to see if she returned to one."

"A-alright," Grams looked at Ruby shakily, "The caves we visited were near the main road, just a bit South of the springs, please find her."

"Don't worry, I will." Ruby got up, and made a beeline out the door, Ash following her.

"H-hey, are you really gonna just run out of town?" Ash's slightly nervous question made Ruby pause.

Turning around to face him and shooting him a funny look, Ruby said, "Well yeah, what else would I do in this situation?"

Ash looked around, before his eyes narrowed in determination, "Then let me come with you!"

Ruby looked him up and down, an unimpressed look on her face, "Do you have a weapon to fend off potentially dangerous wildlife and bandits?" As he shook his head, confirming Ruby's assumption, she said "Then follow me, I can let you borrow something."

The two youths ran to the inn, rushing up the stairs, past Sabrina, who only spared them a passing glance. Ruby threw open her door, and dragged Ash into her abode and over to ner display rack.

"Think you could use any of these?" Ruby asked as she began loosening various fittings so that the amateurish iron weapons could be more easily removed.

Ash glanced at the numerous weapons, the heavy looking axe, mace, and warhammer, the long spear, scythe, and other polearm type weapons, and the simple short, long, and great swords. He reached out and grabbed the hilt of the short sword, and was instantly shocked by its weight. Despite this fact, he quickly adjusted his stance and held it carefully, "I think I'll use this."

Ruby nodded to him, showed him how to slide into his belt so that it wouldn't fall out, or be swung around dangerously. With Ash's weapon obtained the two flew down the stairs, out the inn door, and then down the road, heading East into the Surewood.

* * *

About half an hour's jog led the two youths to their destination, a cave near the small spring in Surewood Forest. The cave was a dark, musty smelling place, and buzzing, clicking, and other ominous noises could be heard emanating from within.

Before they stepped into the cave, Ruby withdrew a pouch emblazoned with the Oaklore Keep coat of arms. Pulling a torch from the pouch, she then handed it to Ash before withdrawing a flint and steel kit. A few seconds later, the two had a working light source, and set off into the cave.

As they walked through the cave, Ruby leading with an Iron Dagger in her right hand and a Torch in her left, and Ash trailing behind her, his Iron Sword dragging on the ground behind him as he tried to carry it without dropping anything. The torch's light illuminated the walls as they advanced, the glittering carapaces of bugs reflected the flames' light back. The bugs that lined the walls, floor, and ceiling of the cave ranged in size from small, regular sized insects to large creatures the size of an adult's head.

The chattering of insects grew louder as the companions traveled deeper into the cave, Ash nervously piped up, as the light from the cave entrance dimmed, "Are you sure she's in here, Ruby? I don't think anyone would have gone much further, especially without a light."

Ruby shook her head and said, "I know she isn't likely to be in here, but I've know Aria for a while," Ruby flinched as a large bee, roughly the size of her hand, flew by, "and she's not the kind of kid who would stop exploring a cave just because it was dark, and especially not if it was full of animals."

Ash was about to pipe up again when Ruby held her arm back to silence him. A large figure was beginning to appear at the edge of the torchlight, shell glistening in the darkness. A loud chatter could be heard as it turned to them and stepped further into the light. A massive beetle, about as long as Ruby was tall, covered in a glistening black shell, and with massive pincers stepped out from the darkness. Its compound eyes locked onto the unwelcome intruders.

Ash shrieked loudly at the sight of the massive bug, which had begun rooting into the cave floor. Ruby readied for battle, "What is it doing?" Ruby's muttered question was answered when the beetle tore a chunk of stone from the ground with its pincers, making both youths pale in shock. It was only a mixture of instinct and physical fitness that allowed the two to dodge the large stone as the beetle used its powerful jaws to hurl it at them. As the two pulled themselves up from their diving dodge, the beetle bull rushed them, pincers spread open open to deliver a crushing blow.

The beetle's six legs and brute strength quickly reduced the youth's battle with it into just the two of them frantically fleeing from the massive insect as it rushed around the cave, far faster than they anticipated. The two barely had a chance to breath after dodging it before it charged back towards them from the direction it continued in. The fight continued like this until the beetle, feeling frustrated with the lack of progress, pierced its pincers into the earth once again, rooting around for another sizeable boulder to use as a weapon.

Seeing their opportunity, Ruby shouted, "Attack it now! Before it finishes!" Ash nodded before he and Ruby rushed the insect. Ruby stabbed her dagger into whatever chink she could find in its chitinous hide, while Ash went in for an overhead slash at the bug's head. He lost balance as he pulled his sword back for the attack, but quickly threw all of his weight forward, sending the sword over his head and onto the beetle's right eye.

The insect reeled back, chattering in both pain and anger. Before the two could continue pressing their advantage, more clicking could be heard from within the cave. Soon, another large beetle appeared, having come to assist its fellow at the sounds of distress.

The beetle quickly rushed in, slamming its girth into Ash and throwing him backwards. Ruby swung around to help her new friend, and felt a heavy weight smash into her back. The wounded and angry beetle rushed the downed redhead, gripping her in its pincers, before swing its head and throwing her into a cave wall. As Ruby dazedly tried to recover, the beetle advanced on her once again.

Meanwhile, the new beetle had Ash on the ground, and was rooting through the earth for a large stone to crush the boy with. As Ash tried to pull himself up, he noticed something about the beetle. On its underside, the carapace was a lighter, brown color. Remembering what his father had taught him about some of the creatures that sometimes attacked the farm, and hoping it applied to giant killer bugs as well, Ash reached for his sword, pulled it in front of him. Then, as the beetle lifted a boulder above his head, preparing to crush him, Ash rolled to the side and thrust his sword upwards, into the bug's neck. Just as he hoped, the more brittle chitin on its underside crumpled under the force of his sword's upward motion combined with the bug's own downward motion as it slammed the boulder into the ground.

The beetle let out a gurgling chatter as it fell the ground, twitching before finally stilling. The already wounded beetle heard this and swung around, throwing a beat up Ruby across the cavern as it turned its hateful glare to the brunette, who began to panickedly try to dislodge his sword from the now dead creature, with very little luck.

As the bug advanced on a panicking Ash, Ruby slowly pulled herself to her feet, her body crying out in pain with each move. As she rubbed her sore limbs, she saw her friend's predicament. Thinking fast, Ruby ignored her pain and threw herself on top of the bug that was now trying to make short work of the farmboy.

Withdrawing her Box Cutters, Ruby began slashing at whatever chink she could, eliciting loud, pained chatters from the offending bug. Her assault was paused by a shout from Ash, "Ruby! The beetle's underbelly is weaker! Hit it there!" Nodding, Ruby slid forward onto the bug's head. The beetle began swinging its stubby head, trying to throw her off. Ruby slammed one dagger into the beetle's good eye, using it to hold onto the beetle, she then used her other arm to reach underneath the beetle's head and stab the neck and head regions repeatedly. Eventually, the beetle's pained chatters became gurgling ones, until it final silenced and stilled.

Getting to her feet, Ruby stumbled around the cave, grabbing her fallen torch before using it to find her dropped Iron Dagger. Meanwhile, Ash went back to dislodging his Iron Sword from the carcase of the second beetle. Once the two had gathered their items, and checked for any major injuries, they continued deeper into the cave, though Ruby was far less enthusiastic about it than she was when first entering.

"Do you hear that," Ash asked warily as a buzzing noise filled the cave around them. Ruby nodded slowly, holding her torch in the hopes of catching sight of what could be their next assailant. She didn't have to wait very long before three massive bees landed in front of the duo. The large, somewhat hairy looking insects were roughly the size of large dogs, there yellow and black striped bodies reflecting the torch light quite easily. While they looked far less powerful than the beetles, the massive, two foot long stingers that could be seen even from from Ruby's distance told her that they were just as dangerous, if not more so.

The two groups eyed each other warily, neither seeming to be the one who wanted to initiate hostilities. Hoping that the bees would prove less hostile than the beetles and let them through, waved to Ash so that he would follow her, before creeping around the insects. Both she and Ash walked slowly around them, hoping not to aggravate the insects. Seeming to decide that the two weren't active threats, the insects buzzed and continued to fly towards the entrance of the cave.

The two youths sighed in relief, Ash gripping his chest dramatically as they flew off. "Man am I glad that those things didn't try to kill us."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, a relieved but confused expression on her face as she began walking at a normal pace deeper into the cave, "But why didn't they? We are intruders in here after all."

Ash shrugged his shoulders and said, "maybe they don't live here either and were intruders too."

Ruby looked thoughtful at that, "That would explain why the beetles were so aggressive, if their home was already being invaded."

Ruby and Ash chatted some more as they trekked further into the cave, something caught Ruby's attention, "Do you hear that" she asked, cupping an ear to catch some noise.

"No, I don't hear anything," Ash answered honestly. The realization hit him a few seconds later, "Wait, where'd all the bug noises go?"

Ruby was about to answer when something shining up ahead caught her attention. She narrowed her eyes and approached carefully. The glimmering white strands that stretched before her acted as a good indicator for why they weren't hearing any bugs in this area of the cave. Ruby turned to Ash, who was staring at the massive spiderweb that stood proudly in front of them, and said "I think I know why we don't hear the bugs anymore."

The two were about to cut their losses and turn back, not wanting to deal with a spider big enough to prey on the cave's inhabitants, when a small shape in the corner of Ruby's eyes caught her attention. A small brown shoe lied discarded on the floor of the cave. Ruby's eyes widened as she shakily picked it up, taking note of the small size, and the girlish design.

Ash looked at her find, and instantly paled, "Is that…?"

Ruby nodded solemnly as she tightened a fist, "Yeah, this is Aria's shoe."

Left unsaid was the most likely culprit for the shoe's presence at the spot, the two didn't need to discuss before they were both running into the spider's nest, hoping that they weren't too late.

They both ran past several spider webs, some were small, some large, some fresh, others showing their age in the form of several bundles of webbing that marked past meals. A few minutes the two reached the back of the cave, and found their marks.

A massive spider, easily larger than a horse, towered over the disheveled form of the redheaded child. The spider's black shell was covered in bright, dangerous looking markings. It's eight legs were double jointed, and its large body turned to see the uninvited guests to its nest. As the body turned, the spider revealed a pair of wicked, dripping fangs. The curved mouthpieces were roughly as long a Ruby's forearms, and they glistened with dangerous venom. Upon seeing them, Aria tried to make a move, but the spider quickly fired a string of webbing that wrapped around the lower portion of her face, and bound the struggling girl to the wall. "Aria!" Ruby shouted to the struggling child, "Don't worry, we'll save you."

Ruby and Ash charged at the large spider, which responded in kind. As the spider lunged at the two, Ruby slid under the arachnid's girth and Ash dived around it. As she did so, she slashed at its legs. Her Iron dagger had little effect against the spider's thick carapace. As she slid out of the other side of the spider's legs, a thick line of webbing impacted her. As the spider used its front legs to try and take down Ash, its hind legs grabbed the webbing attached to Ruby and began trying to wrap her in webbing. Ruby struggled as the sticky strands began being wrapped around her legs, then her waist, then her arms. With her sufficiently cocooned in silk, the spider's hindlegs launched her into web where she stuck.

Meanwhile, the spider slammed its legs into Ash's chest, throwing him into a cave wall. Seeing a moment of weakness, the monster jumped forward, fangs at the ready to be sunk into the brunette's flesh. Had he not quickly held up his iron sword, the spider's fangs would have sunk into his abdomen, luckily they instead impacted the sword.

He then thrust his sword upwards in an attempt to impale the spider's head. The weapon barely sliced into the spider's thick shell, before the spider brought down another leg onto his chest. With the brunette unable to escape the spider readied to sink its venomous fangs into the boy.

While this was happening, Ruby struggled against her sticky bindings. While she had dropped the torch during the attack, her Iron Dagger remained in her hand the whole time. Her dagger slowly cut into the webbing, once the bindings were finally cut through, Ruby dropped to the ground.

Looking towards the massive arachnid that was about to impale her new friend. Without really thinking, Ruby rushed forward and leapt onto the spider's back before stabbing into the arachnid's small head. She managed to get in a few stabs to a couple of its eyes before the arachnid threw her off and turned its attention on her. Before it could make a move, the brunette had pulled himself onto feet, and slashed at the large arachnid. His sword sliced into the back of its legs, causing a large amount of webbing to be shot at the farm boy.

Meanwhile, Ruby was trying to keep the spider from biting her and injecting its deadly venom. The spider's legs knocked into her dislodging her dagger from her hand and knocking her to the floor. The spider towered over her, prepared to end the redhead's life, as Ruby desperately grabbed around for something, anything, to save herself. Her right hand wrapped around a handle, and she swung it upwards, and her torch found its way to the spider's face.

It let out an ear grating screech as the fire burned its carapace. The spider backed up, rubbing its head into the moist dirt to quench the flames that burned its head. Looking at her torch, Ruby felt hope and determination well up inside her chest. "So you don't like fire huh?" Ruby said, a grin stretching across her face, "Then let's get fired up!"

Ruby advanced on the arachnid, slamming her burning torch into the creature, burning and scorching its shell. The spider flinched and tried to retreat, the fire warding it off. As Ruby claimed the advantage, Ash managed to wriggle up against his fallen sword and cut the webbing off of himself. Seeing ruby's advantage, Ash charged forward, thrusting his Iron Sword between the spider's fangs. The weakened carapace crumpled under the strike, allowing for the sword to penetrate the arachnid's brain.

The spider let out a loud screech, before the light faded from its six remaining eyes and it keeled over, having finally died. Ruby and Ash heaved tired sighs as they gazed at the felled spider, before throwing arms over each other's shoulders, relief flooding through them.

'I-I can't believe we're not dead!" To say Ash was relieved would be an understatement. There were several moments throughout that mess that he thought he was certainly not gonna survive. Ruby was much the same way. While previous events caused nearly dying to be less impactful on her, Ruby was still scared that she and her friends would be meeting her end during the conflict.

Ruby let go of Ash before staggering tiredly over to her Iron Dagger. She grabbed it and made her way over to Aria's still bound form. She cut the smaller redhead loose, helped her to her feet and patted her on the head gently. "Don't worry Aria, you're safe now."

"You dummy!" Aria's fist impacted Ruby's stomach, causing her to stagger back in shock, Aria'f eyes were beginning to well up with tears, "Thomas was gonna be my pet, and you killed her!" As the small redhead began to cry over her 'pet,' Ash looked at her in confusion.

"Wait what? Thomas? Her? Pet? What's even happening now?"

Ruby looked at Aria in shock before facepalming in annoyance and groaning. "Ugh, Aria, that thing was way too dangerous to be a pet. In case you forgot, it tried to kill us."

Aria sniffled and pouted at her, "Only because Thomas hadn't been properly trained yet. I was gonna work on her the same way I did those bees I trained earlier."

Ruby and Ash looked at each other, before turning back to the still pouting child, who was muttering about how they knew nothing about beast taming.

Ruby bent down and said, "Come on Aria, any beast tamer stuff aside, Grams is really worried about you."

Aria pouted again, "I just wanted to impress her by taming a pet without her help."

Ruby helped her up and took her hand, "I know, but you've left Grams really worried. She was on the verge of crying when we left to find you."

Aria looked down, shame clear on her face, "I worried her that much?" She sniffled again, "I'm in trouble when I get back, aren't I?"

Ruby chuckled at the small girl, "Yeah, probably. Now come on, let's get you back to Grams."

With that the two redheads and the brunette made their way to the exit of the cave, getting introductions along the way and making small talk.

The trio didn't make it back to town until it was almost nightfall. Ruby and Ash dropped Aria off at the pet shop, an event which resulted in much relief on the part of Grams, and ashamed tears from Aria. After receiving several 'Thank you's from the elderly woman, the two youths left the pet shop, reported Aria's return to the Guardians, and returned to the Falconreach inn.

As they entered, two people caught their eyes. Ruby's eyes were drawn to the woman with wavy, dirty-blonde hair who stood behind the counter. Her hands were on her hips and her face clearly said she wasn't happy to see the state Ruby was currently in. "Ruby Rose, where have you been?"

Ruby stuttered, "Where have I- When did you even get back?" Ruby was confused by Maryann's sudden return, as well as Sabrina's abrupt absence.

"I returned earlier today, after you apparently left town, without supervision."

As Ruby was being scolded by her landlady, Ash was receiving much the same treatment from his father. "Boy, where have you been?"

Ash fidgeted under his father's stern gaze. "Well, you told me to try and find someone my age, so I was with Ruby, then we learned that a young girl was missing, so we went out to look for her."

Ash's father's eyes softened at his son's confession. He clasped a hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "S'much as I'm proud to hear you went out of your way to help someone, what you did was dangerous, and foolish. Do you realize you could have died?"

Ash looked down and muttered, "Yeah, I nearly did."

Ash looked down, and seeing the dirtied sword that was still strapped to his waist, he pulled it out and walked over to Ruby, "Here's your sword back, thanks for letting me borrow it it."

Ruby looked at him, while Maryann was still ranting about responsibilities and dangers, and waved him off. "Nah, I work at the smithy sometimes, so I can just make a new one. You can keep it."

Ash looked shocked at her statement, "Really, I can?"

Ruby flashed the brunette a grin, "Sure, you saved my butt back there, you deserve it. Just make sure to take good care of it, I don't want that fine slab of iron to rust."

Ash flashed her a goofy salute, "Yes ma'am!"

The two kids chuckled, before parting ways. Ash's father bought them a room for the night due to the time, and Ruby moved to get cleaned up and turn in herself.

As the night grew deeper, and the shadows darkened, two red eyes glowed in the darkness of the inn. Eerie laughter wafted through the attic. Several dimmer lights gleamed from the small chest of wares that Maryann had for sale in response, lighter chuckles coming from them as a response.

In the distance, a shadowy figure smirked. The stage had been set, and the first phase had been completed, soon, a new piece would be placed on the board. The figure chuckled to itself as it moved away from the small town, its plan would take some time to come to fruition, but that was fine, after all, it had all the time in the world.


	10. Chapter Ten: An End to the Prologue

**AN: Please note that next chapter I'll be changing the story's title. It completely slipped my mind that the Rose, an organization with DragonFable's universe was a thing. It will be renamed Ruby's Lore next chapter to prevent any potential confusion. I apologize for any confusion that may have caused up until now.**

* * *

Chapter Ten

It had been a couple years since Ruby and Ash had killed Thomas in order to rescue Aria from the bug cave, and things had been peaceful since then. Ruby was disappointed that she couldn't find any real information on Sabrina, but after a while she managed to push the topic out of her thoughts in favor of things like smithing. Ash had begun visiting town more often as well, he'd been excited when he met Rolith for the first time, and confessed that becoming a knight had been his dream for ages. Oddly enough, his dream didn't die when Rolith told him he was too old to become a squire.

Things continued quite normally, Ruby learned more about steel smithing, Aria learned more about beast taming, Maryann continued to run the inn. Yep everything was normal, at least until a commotion one morning lured Ruby outside.

As Ruby rushed outside, her daggers ready in case something had attacked town, she was surprised to find several Guardians and townsfolk had grouped up around something that was lying on the ground. As Ruby got closer she saw that the Guardians were picking up a young woman with long blonde hair. She was thin, her red dress sported several tears and holes, and she was covered in bruises.

Spotting her, a Guardian strode over, "You work in the inn right? Think you could open up a room for this woman while we get a medic?"

Ruby nodded and led a couple Guardians carrying the woman into the inn. She quickly explained the situation to Maryann, before grabbing a set of keys and leading them to an available room. Once the woman was set down, Ruby turned to one of the Guardians. "Do you know what happened to her?"

The Guardian shook his head, "No, she was just found like this in the middle of the street earlier."

Ruby frowned as she looked over at the injured woman. She looked to be a few years Ruby's senior. She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, and to Ruby's chagrin was far taller than the redheaded fourteen year old, who had been learning that quite a few people surpassed her in height over the past few years.

Brushing aside her gloom over her lacking height, Ruby asked the Guardian, "Do you think I should see if there are any clean clothes for her?"

The Guardian nodded in ascent, "Yeah, we'll need something for after the medic has treated her."

Ruby left the room and proceeded back down the stairs to ask Maryann, whose clothing would probably fit the mysterious woman better than her own, for a spare dress. Along the way a Guardian and the local doctor, a blue haired woman named Reens, passed by. Reaching the ground floor, Ruby asked Maryann for some spare clothes for the stranger. Maryann agreed, and left Ruby in charge of the counter while she went up to supply Reens with some clothes for the woman.

Maryann returned shortly, but it wasn't until a couple hours later that Reens descended the stairs along with the Guardians who had been assisting her.

"Is she gonna be okay," Ruby asked, concern lacing her voice over the fate of the blonde.

The blue haired woman wiped her brow with the back of her hand, "Well, she's in stable condition right now, but she's showing no signs of waking up." Reens pulled several bottles out of her satchel, see if you can't get her to consume one of these tonight, as well as another tomorrow morning if she's still not awake. I'll be back to check on her sometime tomorrow." She looked at the innkeeper and her young tenant, "You two are willing to take care of her, right?"

Maryann and Ruby both nodded their assent, Ruby chirping out an 'Of course' while Maryann gave a more gentle, 'Don't worry, we will.'

Reens smiled, relief in her face, "Thanks, if anything about her condition changes, come get me."

The rest of the day passed by slowly. Ruby stopped by Yuglar's to continue her smithing training while Maryann took care of their new guest. Once she was done for the day, Ruby returned to the inn to clean up and attend to her nightly duties.

With her work done and the potion fed to the unconscious woman, Ruby settled into bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

While the occupants of the inn slumbered, and the night grew deeper, several uninvited guests began to move throughout. Ethereal blue light lit the halls as they searched, looking for the beacon that attracted them. Ragged cloths glided over the floorboards as they searched for their target.

A ragged, blood red cloth floated into a room, sensing something that called out to the energies that made up its being. A mortal lied before the blank hood as it gazed down at the source that sang to its tattered soul. Long, knife like claws reached out from a decaying sleeve, and rubbed the woman's arm. Confused green eyes slowly opened, they slowly locked onto the spectral intruder. At first they remained glazed, clouded by sleep and uncomprehending, but as they haze of sleep lifted itself fully from the blonde, eyes widened in horrified understanding. A frightened scream tore its way through the inn, waking its residents.

As the various occupants of the inn's many rooms were awakened by the screams of the once unconscious woman, they became aware of the undead that now stalked the halls, panicked civilians fled the inn, trying to escape the souls of the dead who had invaded the inn.

Amongst the panic, one figure stood, frozen. Ruby Rose, her Steel Daggers at the ready stared nervously at the ghosts that now stalked the darkened halls of Falconreach's Inn. As far as she could tell, there were two different types of ghosts, weird floating black rags that looked like hooded cloaks, and large balls of ethereal blue flames.

What unsettled Ruby the most about the ghosts were their faces, or lack thereof to be exact. The balls of flame just had a pair of bright electric blue eyes that just seemed to gaze into the distance, not changing or focusing at all, even as one turned its attention the redhead. The floating rags were even worse, their faces were just empty pools of darkness contained within a hood.

Ruby met the eyes of the Wisp that had turned to look at her, and met its empty, endlessly staring eyes. The two just stood/floated there like that, gazing endlessly at one another, Ruby with trepidation, the Wisp with an unreadable blankness. Then suddenly, the ball of ethereal blue flames jolted forward, its core glowing brightly as flames billowed behind it.

Ruby dodged out of the way as it swept past her, impacting a wall. Despite hitting the wooden wall of the inn, there wasn't a single burn mark. Ruby's examination of the ghost was cut short when it flew up to her, crackling with some strange energy, Ruby jumped backwards as the Wisp slammed into the floor, for a second it appeared as though nothing happened, but then a massive burst of energy struck down from the ceiling and impacted her.

Ruby screamed in pain and was thrown backwards, the ethereal lightening causing her muscles to seize up, and rendering her incapable of recovering in time to notice that the Wisp had once again charged her. The ball of ghastly flames impacter her midair, the fires of the dead soul lapping at her body. Ruby didn't manage to regain control over her body until she had slammed into a wall and crumpled onto the floor. She struggled to pull herself to her feet, the Wisp's fell energies still messing with her physical ability to move. The Wisp's empty eyes gazed blankly at the girl it was attacking, before it began crackling with energy once again.

Realizing what it was planning to do, Ruby threw herself as far as she could, to avoid the attack. That turned out to be a good choice as the Wisp once more slammed into floor, calling down another gout of foul lightning on to the spot she had just been standing.

As Ruby slowly regained her full range of movement, she held her Steel Daggers in reverse grips, hoping that stabbing ghosts was an effective method of dealing with them. She rushed at the Wisp while it was recovering from the massive release of energy, and slashed her weapons at it. The Wisp, unable to move, took several strikes to its body, each one causing sparks to fly and its form to waver.

Recovering, the Wisp glided backwards, avoiding the rest of Ruby's attacks. Ruby threw herself forward, but found her attacks now flying through the ghost's form without having any affect. The Wisp capitalized on Ruby's ensuing confusion and slammed its now solid form into Ruby, before returning to intangibility to allow her weapons to slide through its form uselessly.

The battle continued on this way for a few minutes, the Wisp would become solid just long enough to ram Ruby, then become insubstantial when she tried to counter attack the ghost. A somewhat battered Ruby growled as she glared at the impassive specter. Seeming to decide that it was time to finish the fight, the Wisp began to crackle with energy once more.

Ruby dived out of the way as a wave of ethereal lightning crashed down to where she had just been standing. Rolling to her feet, Ruby dashed forward, daggers glinting in the spectral light as she slashed at the now defenseless ghost.

The Wisp's form wavered, before finally giving out under the quick attacks. The Wisp dissipated into the air, its glow dying until the hall dimmed significantly. However, the similar glows from both down the hall as well as from beneath several doors were telltale signs that the ghosts were far from eliminated from the inn.

Ruby looked up and down the hall, sighed, and walked to the first door on the hall and opening it. The hooded Spirit and the Wisp that slowly turned to her from within reminded her that light sources weren't going to be the only sign that ghosts were near. Ethereal blue flames flared and blood red claws were withdrawn.

Ruby readied her daggers, threw herself backwards to avoid the crashing wave of energy, and resigned herself to a very long night of ghost hunting.

* * *

Ruby stumbled into a glowing room by the top of the stairs leading to the ground floor, her clothes torn, and her skin covered in cuts, burns, and at least one somewhat deep gash on her side. She gripped her daggers, ready for battle, until an echoing voice caught her off guard.

" _Are you okay, dear_?"

Ruby looked at the source of the voice, and was shocked to see an ethereal, glowing woman floating in front of her. The young woman was wrapped in unnatural blue light, obscuring her exact appearance, though Ruby could make out the concern on her face.

At seeing her confused expression, the specter said, " _Oh dear, where are my manners? I am Mary Grey, the owner of this inn. Would you like a bed for the night?_ "

Ruby eyed her oddly, "No, Maryann owns this inn." At the ghost's attempt to correct her, Ruby continued, 'Sorry, I'm not sure if you noticed it, but, well, how do i put this…. You're dead miss Grey."

The ghost reeled back, " _WHAT!? No, I'm… I'm not dead. But, am I? No, I can't be, but I remember, that's right I… I died didn't I? It was some time ago, but… why did I forget?_ " The ghost of Mary Grey's distraught face calmed into one of melancholy, " _That's right. It was after I heard those calls, they roused me, made me forget._ "

Ruby stumbled over to a chair and collapsed into it, before turning to the ghost and asking, "What do you mean by 'calls?' I haven't been hearing anything."

Mary looked off distantly, her face becoming one of concentration, " _They began some time ago. At first they were just soft whispers. Things that disturbed my rest, but never caused problems. But recently they have become more fervent. They have been affecting me, making me forget my death. They have also called these foreign souls here, to my family's inn._ "

Ruby pulled out a roll of bandages and began patching her wounds. As she did this she asked, "Do you know why these ghosts are attacking people?"

Mary looked down, sadly, " _They're lost, angry, restless. They've been lured from the places they rested, from where they are familiar. The unfamiliar location disturbs their souls, and the calling makes them forget._? Mary looked down sadly, her spectral hand gripping the front of her dress, " _I'd probably be just like them, had I not already been here, and was familiar with the inn my father built._ " She looked at Ruby pleadingly, " _Please help them find rest once more, they are suffering like this. I can hear their cries for help, even with the calls pounding in my head._ "

Ruby nodded to her as she pocketed her bandage roll, wincing as she brushed her wounded side, "Don't worry, I'll help. Just make sure you don't end up like them, alright?"

Mary Gray's ghost nodded softly, " _I will, though I may need to be reminded of my death from time to time, at least until these calls stop._ "

With her wounds bandaged and her conversation with May Grey completed, Ruby ventured back out into the shadowed halls of the now haunted inn. Ruby turned down the hall, fortunately finding no ghosts. She ventured towards the next room, and opened the door.

A Spirit turned towards her from the darkness of the room, Ruby could only just dodge out of the way before the ghost's blood red claws ripped through the air where she had previously stood. As they sweeped through the air, a faint wailing noise sounded through area, as opposed to the whistling one would expect from a fast moving object.

Ruby charged forward, slashing at the specter's ragged body, her daggers leaving long trails in the fabric that made up its body. The Spirit's hood leaned back, before flying forward, releasing a massive wail that through the redhead off her feet, an ethereal skull soaring through the air and impacting her. Ruby's ears rang from the Spirit's wail, her vision was spinning, and her head was dizzy.

The Spirit glided forward to finish off the dizzy fourteen year old, its claws poking out from the sleeves that made up its arms. It leveled its claws at Ruby, and like a spring-loaded weapon they extended at shot forward, aimed straight for her heart.

Clangs rang out through the hall as the claws impacted a Guardian Blade, a young female Guardian held her blade defensively in front of the downed redhead. "You won't be killing anyone on my watch, vile Spirit." The Guardian swung her blade, catching the Spirit in the side, cleaving through its ragged form. The Spirit wailed as it collapsed, an empty cloak crumpled to the ground and the darkness that was once coalesced within faded into the shadowed hall.

With the Spirit defeated, the female Guardian turned her attention to Ruby, who was now struggling to her feet. "Are you okay, Ruby?"

The redhead managed to get to her feet, "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked at the Guardian, "How did you know my name though?"

The Guardian chuckled, "As if anyone in Falconreach doesn't know the name of our local weapon nut and blacksmith in training. Remind me again, how many times have you asked the tower for a Guardian Blade because of 'How cool they are'?"

Ruby blushed and looked away, "Fair point."

The Guardian held out her hand and said, "I'm Fortuna by the way, nice to meet you." As Ruby shook her hand she asked, "I heard several ghosts invaded the inn, any idea where they all came from?"

Ruby shook her head, "The ghost of an old inn owner said they'd all been lured there by a 'calling,' but she didn't know where it's coming from."

Fortuna sighed and said, "I see. Well, time to clear out the inn. You've done good up until this point, but you're hurt. Head on out and see if Reens can treat your injuries, I can handle the rest."

Ruby shook her head and readied her daggers, "Nuh-uh. I'm helping with these ghosts. I already promised Mary that I would. Besides, I'm gonna be a hero someday, it would be sad if I ran away from some ghosts before then."

Fortuna was about to argue with the determined redhead when another scream, far more panicked than the initial one, tore through the inn. Fortuna and Ruby tensed as they looked down the hall, to where the scream seemed to have come from.

Ruby was the first to recover from the surprise, "Come on, someone's in trouble." She took off down the hall, ignoring Fortuna's cries for her to stop. Ruby skidded to halt as she suddenly turned to one of the doors, which was hanging open, several long gashes carved into it.

Fortuna ran up behind her, "Why'd you stop," she asked as she looked into the room. It was trashed, gashes carved throughout the whole room, but it was otherwise devoid of either living or dead residents. "It's in bad shape, but I don't see anything of note in here."

Ruby searched through the room, trying to find any signs of its occupant, "This was where we put the lady who was found in the street earlier." She looked around some more, "But she's not here anymore."

Guardian Fortuna gained a concerned look on her face, "You mean the blonde, right? I didn't see her with the crowd outside the inn."

The two looked towards the end of the hall, where the scream had come from, "Then she must be the one who's in danger." Ruby's conclusion was shared by Fortuna, and they both ran down the hall, determined to help the distressed woman.

They both reached the end of the hall, as well as a group of ghosts. One ragged Spirit and two flaming Wisps turned to the newcomers, all of them preparing to attack the newcomers. As Ruby and Fortuna readied themselves for combat, Ruby shouted "Be careful of the flaming ones, they have a dangerous energy attack that they use after charging up."

Guardian Fortuna nodded her thanks and engaged the enemy. Fortuna swung her Guardian Blade towards the Spirit, which glided backwards to avoid the jagged sword. Meanwhile, Ruby charged a Wisp and caught it off guard, allowing her to get in a few hits before it faded from the tangible world.

Ruby waited for the incorporeal Wisp to act, ready to dodge at any time, until the other Wisp flew in to assist its compatriot. It slammed into Ruby's back, sending her toppling forward, the intangible Wisp crackled with energy, returning to the physical world. It slammed itself into the floor, blasting the downed redhead with ghastly energy, throwing her across the hall.

Meanwhile, Fortuna's Guardian Blade and the Spirit's claws sparked as they clashed, fighting for dominance. Their fight was cut short as one of the Wisps glided over from its battle with Ruby to attack Fortuna, throwing her off balance, allowing the Spirit to overpower her and slash at her staggered form. Claws ground against her armor, leaving furrows in her breastplate. Fortunately, Fortuna's armor held firm and didn't allow the claws to penetrate through to her body, but the damage was still significant.

Fortuna regained her balance, and stabbed the offending Wisp. Her thrust tore through its body, causing it to waver drastically. She then pulled her weapon back, allowing the jagged hooks to tear through the Wisp, dispelling it.

To the side of her battle, Ruby struggled back to her feet, glaring at the remaining Wisp, which was recovering from the energy discharge. Her muscles burned and twitched from the overload it hit her body with. Knowing she couldn't make it to the Wisp before it faded back into intangibility, Ruby threw her left hand Steel Dagger into the ghost's face. Surprised, the Wisp didn't have time to recover from the additional attack before Ruby pushed herself forward and slashed at it repeatedly with her remaining dagger.

The Wisp wavered, but didn't dissipate, and glided backwards before returning to intangibility. It and Ruby eyed each other, both of them trying to find the best moment to finish off their opponent.

Meanwhile, Fortuna and the Spirit continued to slash at each other. Claws and blade clashed, parried, and blocked. The battle for dominance raged as they both tried to penetrate the other's defense. Eventually, the Spirit reared back and wailed, rattling Fortuna's head and throwing off her attack. With its new opening available, the Spirit lashed out, catching her with its claws. More furrows were carved into her armor, but the Guardian Armor still held firm against the specter's attacks.

Fortuna launched herself forward, Guardian Blade whistling through the air, and slashed the Spirit in return. The ragged cloak that composed its body was split in half, and crumpled to the inn's floor.

Breathing heavily, Fortuna turned to see Ruby and the remaining Wisp finishing their own battle. Ruby dived out of the way of another energy attack, and quickly threw herself forward, slashing and stabbing at the Wisp with her remaining dagger. It finally succumbed to its injuries, and dissipated into the air.

Fortuna was about to congratulate Ruby, when the redhead collapsed to the ground. Fortuna ran forward to check on the fourteen year old. "Are you okay Ruby? What's wrong?"

Ruby groaned and turned her face towards Fortuna, "My whole body burns, and I'm really tired." She coughed a bit and continued, "I think I got more hurt than I thought."

Fortuna reached into her supply pouch and withdrew two bottles, which Ruby recognized as being health and mana potions. "Here, drink these, I've got two of each, so don't worry about leaving me without them."

Ruby slowly sat up, with Fortuna's help, and drank the health potion. She winced uncomfortable as she felt her skin begin stitching itself back together, and an odd tingling sensation spread throughout her whole body, "Why do I need a man potion? I don't use magic, do I?"

Fortuna shrugged and said, "Maybe not magic, per se, but a lot of people do expend mana unconsciously to enhance their abilities during combat. Every Time you find yourself moving more quickly and attacking more times is you doing that."

Ruby looked surprised as she uncorked the mana potion and downed it, feeling more energized the more she drank. "I didn't know I did that. Is there anything else that can do?"

Fortuna just chuckled and took the empty bottles from the redhead, "Probably, but that's really for you to figure out. It's usually best to let someone figure out how they best use their mana on their own, after all."

With her condition significantly improved, Ruby and Fortuna made their way up the stairs and into the inn's attic. Up ahead they saw two figures, the blonde from earlier was on the ground, desperately trying to scoot away from the other figure, a large Spirit with a red cloak as opposed to the black ones its fellows wore.

At their approach, the red Spirit turned to Ruby and Fortuna, and spoke. " _ **Mortals of flesh and blood, begone! I have been summoned here and your presence shall no longer be tolerated!**_ " The specter's voice echoed and reverberated through the whole attic, feeling like a weight on Ruby and Fortuna's psyches.

Fortuna lifted her Guardian Blade and declared, "How about instead you back away from the woman, and leave. At least that way you won't be exorcised!"

The Spirit released a grinding chuckle, " _ **Cute, the mortal thinks it is entitled to command me. Listen well, human. I am the Soulkeeper, the collector of interesting souls the worldover. This woman's soul sings to me, like a sweet memory long since lost. As such, it is mine to take,**_ " He turned his empty hood towards Ruby, " _ **Your soul is also intriguing. I think I'll be taking it as well.**_ "

With that, the Soulkeeper flew forward with surprising speed. Glimmering silver claws unfurled from within his ragged red body, and slashed at Ruby. It was only luck and reflexes that saved Ruby from being torn to ribbons as the ghost's claws gouged the ground where she stood.

Fortuna stabbed her Guardian Blade at the Soulkeeper, attempting to run him through. The spirit glided just out of reach and closed its claws around the tip of her sword, causing the spikes to get caught on his claws.

The Soulkeeper tugged on the sword, causing Fortuna to stumble forward, and promptly slashed at her with his free claw. Claws tore through Fortuna's undefended armor. Most of her armor held, but the previously damaged sections crumpled under the additional force and allowed the Soulkeeper to draw blood from her abdomen.

Fortuna tried to recover, but the Soulkeeper unleashed a bone rattling wail that threw her backwards and into a wall. He then through her Guardian Blade to the other side of the attic.

Ruby rushed forward to cut down the ghost, but it easily glided out of her short range, " _ **How pitiful. You humans were talking so big earlier too.**_ " The Soulkeeper grabbed Ruby and lifted her up to his hood, before wailing as loudly as possible into her face, causing her entire vision erupt into stars. He threw the stunned redhead into Fortuna, who was struggling to get back up. " _ **All you humans sure are weak, squishy, and useless. You can't even scratch me.**_ "

The Soulkeeper confidently glided over to the downed redhead, and the Guardian she was collapsed on. He lifted up his sleeves, readying his claws to run the tow through and finish them off. Within a blink of an eye, glittering metal penetrated the Soulkeeper.

Behind the scarlet specter, the forgotten blonde was holding the Guardian Blade that the Soulkeeper had thrown aside, "Don't think you can win that easily" she grunted, before tearing the sword from his abdomen.

The Soulkeeper staggered, claws grasping the tear in his chest where congealed darkness with spilling forth. While it tried to keep itself from pouring out through the hole in its chest, Ruby staggered to her feet, Steel Daggers gripped firmly in her hands. She lunged forward, daggers glinting dangerously as she plunged them into the Soulkeeper's hood.

The Soulkeeper let out a pained wail as the blades pierced its head, darkness spilled from with the cloak that made up its body. Silver claws tried to stem the flow of darkness, but it was too late. Soon, all that was left was a red cloak, two wounded people, and a frightened blonde.

Fortuna pulled herself to her feet and downed her health potion to stem her own bleeding, and then grabbed her Guardian Blade. Once she had all of her stuff, she approached the blonde, who had collapsed onto the floor in relief, in order to help her up.

Meanwhile, Ruby tiredly stumbled over to the ragged red cloak that the Soulkeeper left behind. She lifted it up and shook it hoping that its claws would have stayed with. When no shiny weapons fell out, Ruby sighed and said, "I guess you'll work for a souvenir then." With that, Ruby stuffed her new cloak, that was in need of a good washing and some repairs, into her bag.

Ruby walked over to the the blonde, who was being helped up by Fortuna. "Glad to see you're alright" she grinned at her, ignoring the small amount of blood that leaked from her mouth as she did so.

The woman looked at her with concern, "Umm, are you okay? You're bleeding."

Ruby brushed off her worry, "I'm fine, bed rest and minor medical treatment will fix me up, no problem.

Fortuna looked at the blonde and said, "Do you have a name? It's not very nice to call you 'blonde lady' after all."

The blonde turned back to Fortuna and said, "Sure my name is… uhh, no wait." Her face twisted in concern, "Wait, what is my name?" She began to panic as she desperately tried to recall her name. "What is my name? Why? Why can't I remember? I have one, don't I?"

Ruby grabbed her arm in order to reassure her, "Come on, I'm certain you have one. Why don't you just try to remember something that might give you a hint about it?"

The blonde took a deep, calming breath, "Yes, you're right." She scrunched up her face in concentration, her hands began to shake and she began to sweat. The woman's eyes shot open in horror, "I… what is this… WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER ANYTHING!?"

* * *

A week had passed since the ghosts had invaded the inn. Things had settled down since then, Ruby and Fortuna had both been required by Reens to rest in bed for a few days to recover, though Ruby needed to rest longer. The blonde had been moved into a spare room while the Guardians tried to locate any lead on who she was and where she'd come from. She'd been spending her time helping Maryann in the kitchen, she was very good at baking bread, and making sure Ruby didn't try and sneak out of her room whenever she got bored.

Ruby and the blonde had spent quite a bit of time together, the blonde making sure Ruby didn't do anything that might stall her healing, and Ruby telling her about the town and the surrounding area.

Ruby wasn't sure why, maybe it was the woman's sweet demeanor, her willingness to help out, or possibly even her vague resemblance to her sister Yang, but Ruby felt calm around the blonde. It was relaxing and enjoyable to spend time with her.

As it became increasingly clear that the Guardians wouldn't find anything about the blonde, she became increasingly upset. Until one day, while she was watching Ruby, she said, "I don't know what to do Ruby. I don't have a home, a family, not even a name. I don't feel like I belong anywhere."

Ruby placed a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Don't be stupid. Maryann and I enjoy having you around, so you'll always have a home here. I can't give you a family, but I can give you a name."

The blonde looked at her, "You can give me a name?"

"Sure! I'll just give you a name, and you can go by it. Presto, you got a name, easy as that." Ruby grinned at her and asked, "So do you want me to give you one?"

At the blonde's fervent nod, Ruby said, "Alright then." Ruby began to mumble to herself, going over whatever name she think of. Snapping her fingers, Ruby shouted, "I got it! Since you're a nice person who it's easy to relax around, I'm gonna call you, Serenity!"

"Serenity," the now named woman muttered to herself, getting a feel for the name. "I like it" she shouted, tears of happiness began to well up in her eyes. Diving forward, she wrapped Ruby in a gentle hug, "Thank you Ruby."

The injured redhead smiled awkwardly at her, "No problem Serenity, glad you like it."

With that, Serenity settled into the inn as a permanent guest and member of staff. With a new name, and a redhead to watch over so that she didn't get herself killed, Serenity, for the first time since she awoke, thought more about her future than her past. Serenity, found a place where she felt she belonged, and people she felt she belonged with, and she wasn't going to let it go anytime soon.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Birth of a Hero

**AN: Hello again, and welcome back to the Ruby's Lore (was Rose's Lore; I changed it for clarity). Today, we finally get into the main story. Sorry that it has taken awhile to get this out, in between personal issues and the fast approaching school year, stress kinda got to me for a bit. A few of the parts of this chapter had me stumped on how to proceed with them, and I'm certain those will be obvious as they'll be the choppier ones. Hopefully the rest of it will be of high enough quality that it makes up for it.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, guisniperman and melleanjelo.**

 **About your review, guisniperman, I know you really want Ruby to get her abilities from RWBY, but she won't be getting super speed until the Ravenloss Saga. Soulweaver will be the key to her obtaining her superspeed, some dead dude's coat won't help much with that. Sorry, I know you really want her to tear through Lore with her Remnant abilities, but I want to build Ruby up to that level and beyond using nothing but Lore based ones, minus one specific, but not yet used technique.**

 **As for your review, melleanjelo, Ruby wound up in Lore before she had her aura unlocked, so she's going into things with the same baseline as every native of Lore, no shield, no speed, only her own developed skill. However, as she learns and grows she will develop facsimiles for various things. A form of superspeed will be obtained later down the line when she's trained by Tomix during the Ravenloss storyline. Finally, as for Crescent Rose, Lore lacks the technology necessary to suitably create, maintain, and reload a sniper-scythe, so it will not be making an appearance. Ruby will, however, be making her own weapons as time goes on, and one scythe in particular will become her most trusted weapon, though that one won't make an appearance for a while, as the best materials for Ruby's "baby" won't be available until certain "destinies" have been fulfilled.**

 **Without further ado, let's get started!**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

The morning sun's beams streamed through a window, illuminating a room within Falconreach Inn. The room housed an eclectic mixture of items, a weapon rack was against a wall, an open wardrobe had several articles of clothing poking out of it, and a messy bed sat in a corner, with a simple chest at its foot. Within that bed snoozed a fifteen year old girl, whose red tipped black hair was splayed out messily on her pillow.

The peaceful quiet was broken by several knocks coming from the other side of the door, "Wake up, Ruby. I'm about to start on breakfast."

The room's young occupant, Ruby Rose, slowly sat up in her bed, and gave out a sleepy "Okay, I'm getting up."

Ruby slowly pulled herself out of bed and started on her morning ritual, washing up the bathroom, getting dressed, and preparing for the day. As she went about her morning activities, and the haze of sleep lifted from her mind, a realization struck her. Picking up her pace, Ruby reached into her chest, pulling out a set of dark leather armor, and donned it. She also grabbed a pair of light boots as well as a ragged, red cloak from her closet.

With all of her traveling gear donned, Ruby made her way down the stairs and to the inn's main room. As she reached the ground floor, she was met with the smells of cooking eggs and fresh bread. The ever warm and friendly blonde, Serenity, handed her a plate of eggs as well as a loaf of bread.

"Here's your breakfast, Ruby," Serenity said, smiling at the redhead as she quickly grabbed the offered food. As Ruby began to shovel down the food, Serenity asked, "So you're heading out soon, right?"

Ruby nodded as she swallowed her food, "Yeah, I'm heading over to Oaklore. Finally gonna revisit that old cliff. Maybe I'll find a clue about how I got here, and how to get back."

A tired Maryann looked over from the counter, "Still trying to get back, are you?"

"Yeah, I like it here, but I still do have living family members. It would be wrong to just act like I don't and not try to get back."

Serenity turned around as she was walking back towards the kitchen, "If you find something, then at least try and find a way to say bye, I'll be sad if you just vanish."

Ruby finished the rest of her food and nodded towards the retreating blonde, "Don't worry, I wouldn't want to just leave you two behind either."

With her food finished, Ruby got up, waved good-bye to Serenity and Maryann, and made her way to the Western exit of Falconreach, past the potions shop/ doctor's office Reens set up, as well as the newly added barbershop that was owned by a man named Patch.

Her walk brought her down the road and over the bridge that connected the Oaklore and Surewood regions. Ruby waved to the knight stationed at the end of the bridge as she passed by, heading into Oaklore Forest. Sticking to the road, Ruby made her way towards Oaklore Keep, keeping an eye out along the way for aggressive wildlife and bandits.

It took some time, especially when she found herself needing to sneak past a sleeping bear, but Ruby eventually entered a familiar clearing. Over the past few years, Oaklore Keep's construction had been completed. It now towered over the surrounding trees, though the majestic oak that it was built around still dwarfed even it. Its three towers stretched into the air, the center tower being taller than the other two, banners waving slightly in the breeze. The knights stationed outside the Keep waved at the girl who had become a familiar appearance over the years.

Ruby easily made her way over to the keep and entered the main hall, looking around for any signs of her blonde haired friend. She soon zoned in on his rather prominent form, standing near the entrance to the centermost tower. He had grown quite a bit over the years. He was now in his twenties, an adult by every standard. He was tall, and if the size of his armor was anything to go by, well built. The most noticeable change he sported, however, was the fact that his armor sported imposing dark grey trimming and a regal pattern carved into its plating, denoting his newly earned status as knight captain of Oaklore Keep.

Waving, Ruby called out to her old friend, "Hey! Rolith! What are you doing?"

Rolith looked over to the waving redhead and smiled, "Hey Ruby. Do you mind waiting a bit? I've got some duties to finish up before doing anything else."

Ruby tilted her head in confusion, "Duties? Aren't you the boss? No one would get upset if you spent five minutes talking to me."

Rolith shook his head before looking at Ruby scoldingly, "No Ruby. As a knight captain it is my job to not only lead by word, but also by example. It would be unbecoming of me to take a break."

Ruby pouted at him, "Please?" Rolith held his stern gaze. Ruby ratcheted it up by incorporating puppy dog eyes, "Come on Rolith, I'm gonna be checking out the cliff, I don't wanna risk finding a way back without at least having you around to say bye to." Rolith's face softened, but he still held firm.

"No Ruby, I'd like to help you out with that, but my duties can't just be ignored. Sorry." With that, Rolith walked into the central tower, making his way up to the meeting room, waving to Ruby as he did so.

A still pouting Ruby looked down, "Fine." She walked out of the Keep sadly, having had her hopes to spend some time with her oldest friend and searching the cliff with him dashed.

A now somewhat moody Ruby made her way out of the Keep and down the South-Western path, leading to the cliff where her new life had begun all those years ago. As Ruby grew closer to the clearing that marked the cliff's edge, a knot formed in Ruby's stomach. Nervousness began to well up within her, questions and situations raced through her mind. What if she did find a way back to Remnant, what would she do? Would she just go back, leave everyone she'd met here behind? What would she find there? Would her family even recognize her? Would she even have the strength to go through and return? What if she didn't find a way back? Would she be trapped here forever? Would she be able to find a different method to get back? Would she be strong enough to even try?

Before she knew it, Ruby was standing at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the sprawling woodland below. Ruby slowly looked around, anxiety building within her as she tried to spot something, anything that could tell her if return is possible. Every dark shape jumped out at her, but every one of them proved to be little than shadows, twisted by her hope.

Ruby wandered around the cliff for upwards of an hour, searching in every crook and crevice, behind trees and rocks, hoping to find a portal, a rift, even a mark, anything that could help her. Eventually, however, Ruby found herself standing somewhat despondently at the cliff face. She had searched and searched, and failed to find even a shred of evidence that there may be a way back to Remnant in the area.

Ruby sat down on the edge, her legs dangling over. She slumped tiredly, "I guess this was a bust." She looked off into the distance, tired and disappointed at her lack of progress. She absentmindedly tracked a moving shadow in the distance as she considered her options. Many of the Guardians she had asked over the years had suggested that she get help from a powerful mage to assist her, though the only two options they ever seemed to give were both largely impractical. One was a man who went under the title, The Blue Mage, a known recluse who was notoriously hard to contact as he lived within the Elemental Foothills, a region that was in a constant state of instability and flux due to the large number of dangerous elementals that inhabited the area. The other was known as The Green Mage, or more infamously, The Mad Weaponsmith, and if half of the things Ruby had heard about him were true, then he'd definitely be Ruby's last choice for assistance.

Ruby sighed to herself in exasperation, "I should've known this wouldn't have been that easy." She pulled herself to her feet, stretching her limbs to prepare to return to Oaklore Keep and see if Rolith was free now. As she leaned backwards, stretching her back, she looked into the distance where something caught her eye. The shape she had been halfheartedly tracking in the Western sky was becoming much larger, and was becoming much more defined.

Ruby squinted her eyes, trying to focus on the object. Soon she could make out its reddish color, the large wings that carried it through the air, and even an odd blotch of white located somewhere on its back.

"Wait a second," Ruby muttered as the creature grew closer, until Ruby could finally identify it for what it was. Ruby felt her face drain of color, her blood run cold, and her heart practically stop as she realized what it was that was making a beeline for the location of both her and Oaklore Keep. Ruby staggered backwards, shakily unsheathing her Steel Daggers as she did so, all the while praying to whatever higher power who might be listening that she was wrong, that she had misidentified the creature soaring towards the Forest.

Her prayers were answered with a hearty, "Screw you kid, prepare to die," as a massive dragon with vermillion scales crashed into the woodlands below, its head and neck still managing to easily tower over the cliff where she was standing. She couldn't help but fearfully stare into its fierce yellow eyes. The dragon, taking note of the small human met her gaze, a note of hunger present in the yellow orbs, smoke billowed from its nostrils as it debated chomping down on the small, and most likely not very filling human.

Ruby's mind completely ground to a halt as she took in the dragon's appearance as she held its gaze. Its vermillion scales, the large black horns that spiked backwards towards its neck, the elongated snout filled with fangs the size of human forearms, and the wings that sprouted from its back.

Meanwhile, the dragon also took note of its potential prey's appearance. Her short stature, young face, red and black hair, dark clothes, and of course, her unsheathed weapons. The dragon narrowed its eyes, the human wouldn't be very filling, and her youth belied a lack of experience.

Both the human's and the dragon's appraisals of one another were cut short by a gently voice that floated from behind its head. "Now, now, leave the girl alone. You know better than to harass people." The dragon released a low, grumbling noise that seemed to reverberate throughout the air as well as within Ruby's chest. "Now that's just rude," the feminine voice said, disapproval evident in the tone used, "Now if you wouldn't mind, please let us down."

The dragon made another, lower grumbling noise that stunk of displeasure. Despite that, it still acquiesced to the voice's request, bending its head down, and pressing the top of its head onto the cliff's side. As it did so, it revealed the source of the voice, as well as its passenger, a beautiful woman with silvery hair and flowing white and gold robes.

Ruby eyed the older woman in wonder as she deftly slid down the dragon's neck and head before gracefully landing on the grass, all the while carrying a large, black box with dragon decorations engraved on it in gold. Behind her, a small creature with bright red fur tumbled down behind her. Ruby tore her eyes from the almost ethereal beauty to stare at the odd creature, it only came up to Ruby's knees, had a large head with large floppy ears, and was supporting itself with a small twig as if it was a walking stick or a staff.

With its passengers unloaded, the dragon gave Ruby one last, hungry look, before rearing back onto its hind legs before kicking off the ground and unfurling its wings. Faster than Ruby could react, the dragon had already taken off, soaring back into the direction it had come from. Ruby blinked as what she had thought was gonna be her death sentence flew, leaving the odd pair behind. She then turned back to the duo, who were now eyeing the young redhead.

The creature seemed to notice Ruby's confused stare, as it looked to her with a wide smile and waved one of its small arms at her, "Hiyas!"

Ruby waved back, still quite confused at the appearance of the bizarre creature, "Umm, hello." Deciding that it would be easier to just get the confusing thing out of the way early, Ruby asked, "So who, and what, are you? And how did you get that dragon to listen to you?"

The woman chuckled kindly as she gestured at her small companion, careful not to drop her cargo, "Oh my, have you never seen a moglin before? Twilly here is a moglin," at her mention the small creature gave her another warm smile, "and I am a Priestess, a dragon priestess to be exact."

Ruby tilted her head, having never heard of a dragon priestess before, "Umm, what's a dragon priestess?"

Celestia smiled playfully at the young girl, "While I don't mind answering your question, wouldn't it be more polite to introduce yourself first?"

Ruby flushed in embarrassment at having forgotten basic manners during the combination of fear for her life, amazement at the impressive appearance of the beautiful priestess, and her bizarre companion. Ruby nervously introduced herself, "O-oh, sorry. I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose. It's nice to meet you."

The silver haired woman smiled calmingly, "Nice to meet you Ruby. As for your earlier question, a Dragon Priestess is simply a woman who has dedicated her life to studying dragons and their magic. As a matter of fact, it was through my studies that I managed to convince that dragon you saw earlier to help me out on occasion."

Twilly tugged on the hem of Celestia's dress, "Priestess, didn't you say we needed to get to our destination soon?"

Celestia looked down at Twilly, a moglin as Ruby recalled her claiming he was, 'That's right," she turned back to Ruby, an apologetic smile on her face, "Sorry about cutting off our conversation so soon, but I really must get a move on." She turned to the direction of the Forest path that led to Oaklore Keep, "It was nice meeting you though," her voice took on an odd, knowing tone, "and I'm quite certain we'll meet again, perhaps sometime soon."

With that she and Twilly began making their way down the trail, before disappearing into the trees. Ruby watched them go, a confused look on her face, "What did she mean by 'we'll meet again, sometime soon?'" Ruby shook her head, brushing off the oddness of the encounter. "I wonder what was in that black box, though. It was rather pretty looking." Ruby froze at the thought of considering a box pretty, "Crap, maybe I shouldn't hang out with the Oaklore Sneevils as often, I think they're rubbing off on me."

Shaking off the horrifying concept of developing an uncontrollable box obsession, Ruby turned back to the cliff and looked back out over the Forest. She sighed to herself as she gave the area one last quick sweep for a sign of how she could get back home. Sighing at the lack of anything, the only real difference from earlier being the splintered trees at the foot of the cliff.

"Man, still nothing. I guess I really will need to ask a mage for help," she muttered to herself while turning back around to the trail through Oaklore Forest. As Ruby began to walk down the path, she realized something, "Wait a second, didn't that Priestess say she studied dragon magic? Maybe she knows a way to help me out." Nodding to herself, Ruby picked up the pace, hoping to catch up to the silver haired woman.

Ruby continued to jog in the direction Celestia and Twilly had left in, until she heard an ear splitting roar from up ahead. Ruby broke into a run when she heard the noise, afraid that the two had been attacked by a monster. From up ahead she heard Twilly's panicked shout, "Priestess! Get out of the way, it's a gorillaphant!" After the moglin's shout, a thud could be heard. Ruby ducked as a ball of red soared overhead. Turning around, she saw a dazed Twilly lying face down in the ground, groaning about spinning stars and other stuff. Ruby continued forward and finally reached the area where Celestia was, as well as her attacker.

Ruby had heard about gorillaphants from the knights at Oaklore Keep, Falconreach's Guardians, and even from Grams, who wanted to train one, but this was her first time ever seeing one. It was a massive beast, easily more than twice as tall as a full grown human, and far wider. Its body rippled with muscles that were coated in a thick, tangled coat of grey fur. The creature was mostly quadrupedal, using both its legs and arms while moving, but it was easily capable of balancing on its hind legs while using its massive bulging forearms to bludgeon opponents to death.

Ruby shouted at the beast, attracting its attention over to her and away from the retreating priestess, "Hey ugly! Why don't you fight someone who can fight back!?" The gorillaphant swung around, its feral eyes focusing on the redhead while its massive tusks glinted dangerously as they swung through the air. While not understanding what it was that Ruby said, the beast clearly knew that Ruby's words were ones of challenge, as it opened its maw and let out its own, challenging roar, and charged at Ruby.

Ruby dived sideways as the hairy behemoth's fist slammed into the ground where she had been standing. The gorillaphant slid forward after missing its attack, using its oversized hands to dig into the ground and slow down. As it slid to a stop, the gorillaphant spun around, tusks glinting as they tore through the air, tearing at a nearby tree as the beast's yellow eyes focused back onto the redhead.

Ruby tensed under the beast's ferocious glare, her body shivering in both nervousness and anticipation. From what little she'd seen and heard, the gorillaphant was surprisingly fast for something as bulky as it was, though it wasn't able to easily stop or turn, and its physical strength was quite high.

A determined frown formed on Ruby's face as she watched the gorillaphant kicked off the ground, throwing its girth towards her. Ruby stood still as the beast approached, a smirk slowly spreading across her face as she reached into a small pouch on her waist, then at the last moment dived to the side while throwing a small pellet into the rampaging gorillaphant's face. Ruby grinned at the beast's surprised, choking roar as was blinded a cloud of acrid smoke.

The beast thrashed around as it tried to stop the burning in its eyes as the smoke took effect, but all it really managed to do was throw itself off balance and crash into a tree. Flipping her Steel Daggers into a standard grip, Ruby threw herself towards the downed beast, ducking under a wildly thrashing arm, and stabbed her blades into its large, hairy, unprotected back. From there she slashed and cut, hoping to deal as much damage as possible, maybe even down the monster, before it could recover.

The beast let out a pained roar, its thrashing increasing tenfold. Large, beastly hands flew through the air, no aim or sense to their directions, but the intention to smash the cause of its pain into a bloody pulp being quite clear. Ruby rolled backwards as the gorillaphant's thrashing increased, until it managed to push itself to its feet. The gorillaphant tried to focus in on Ruby, but the smoke was still affecting its eyes, and the beast's vision was still obscured. Unable to adequately see, the gorillaphant just swung madly at the vague, dark blur that was most likely Ruby.

Ruby easily avoided the wild, poorly aimed swings. She smirked as she watched the monster's unskilled, brutish swings, and waited for the perfect opportunity. This came quite quickly as the gorillaphant pushed itself forward in an attempt to skewer the redhead. The beast missed by a foot, and stabbed its tusks into a tree, leaving it immobile while it dazedly tried to remove its tusks from their wooden prison.

Ruby flew forward, blades gleaming in the light. She slashed at the beast as it tried to dislodge itself, leaving gashes along its side and arm. Metal sung as it sliced through the air, and the gorillaphant roared as blades bit into its flesh. With a splintering crash, the injured gorillaphant ripped its tusks from the tree, and staggered backwards.

Ruby's eyes lit up with anticipation as it did so, she flipped her daggers back into reverse grips, and threw herself forward. The staggering gorillaphant's chest was used as a springboard as Ruby landed on it and kicked off, slashing upwards during her ascent. The gorillaphant's sight fully recovered as it looked upwards, just in time for Ruby to come crashing down, daggers sliding through its face, neck, and chest. The beast let out a gurgling roar as it collapsed backwards, before lying still.

Ruby eyed the beast for a moment, watching for any movement. When the beast proved to be down, she threw her hands up in celebration, a wide grin on her face and a 'whoop' of celebration. She laughed happily at her victory as she turned to Priestess Celestia, who was approaching from behind a thicket of trees, a somewhat beaten Twilly trailing behind her.

The cloaked woman smiled gently at Ruby, "I've got to say, that was quite an impressive display," Ruby could feel an embarrassed smile bloom on her face at the woman's praise, "especially from one as young as yourself."

In spite of herself, Ruby pouted childishly at Celestia's comment, "I'm not that young, I'm fifteen after all."

The priestess gave her a light chuckle, "Are you certain? You seem a tad short to be fifteen you know."

Ruby's face flushed a dark red, "I-I'm still growing! I drink milk and everything! I-I'm just a late bloomer, that's all!" Ruby's embarrassed defence of her somewhat short stature elicited more pleasant chuckling from Celestia, as well as some laughter from Twilly.

Twilly walked over to Ruby and looked up at her, "Did you get hurt at all?"

Ruby shook her head, a proud smile on her face, "Nah, I'm good enough to not get beat up by something as predictable as that thing."

Celestia smiled at the girl, "Does someone train you in combat? You seem far better than I would expect."

Ruby nodded her head, a happy smile on her face, "Yeah, it's mostly just tips, but Falconreach's Guardians and the Oaklore Keep knights do help me train from time to time. I sometimes help the local Sneevil Shogun, so he gives me some supplies and training as well."

The three began walking down the trail, once more heading Eastward, making small talk with one another. After a few minutes of talking, Ruby decided to broach the topic she had originally run after the others about, "Hey Lady Celestia, can I ask you something about dragon magic?"

A head of silvery hair nodded, "Sure, what did you want to ask about?"

"Well, is there anything dragon magic can do that let's you open portals? Or travel to other worlds?"

Celestia gave her a confused look, "The only dragons I know of with abilities like that are Void Dragons, and they can only travel to and from the Void, nowhere beyond that."

Ruby slumped slightly at her answer, a frown drawing across her face, "Aww man. And here I was hoping that you could be the key to helping me with your problem."

Celestia was about to respond to Ruby's statement when Twilly asked a question, "You mean the whole, 'Being from another world' thing, right?"

Ruby and Celestia both stared at the red moglin, one with confusion, the other with minor irritation, "Umm, how exactly did you know I wasn't from Lore," Ruby asked, noticeably weirded out by the fact that the moglin she just met knew a somewhat personal tidbit of information about her."

Twilly looked nervously between Ruby and Celestia's gazes, his eyes met the priestess's, before he stutteringly said, "Err, well, you see, I uhh, sensed it?" At Celestia's slight nod he continued, "Yeah, I sensed it. Us Moglins are closely connected with magic, so i could sense the foreign magical energies from you."

Ruby eyed the moglin strangely, having not missed how he seemed to jump onto an excuse to use. She shot a questioning look at Celestia who, upon noticing her glance, said, "Moglins are some of the most magical creatures of Lore, only beings like dragons, elementals, and other spirits are more closely tied to magic than they are. I wouldn't put it past one to be able to sense something like that." At Ruby's accepting nod, she continued, interest lighting up her eyes, "So, you're from another world? What was it like there?"

Ruby looked down, a melancholic look on her face while she considered how best to answer her question. "I honestly don't remember much from my time before I ended up in Lore. I remember that it was called Remnant, and that there weren't that many towns or cities because the local monsters usual wiped out smaller groups. I remember that the local monsters were called Grimm, and that's about all I can remember about the world in general."

"What about personally? Did you have family, friends? Pets?"

Ruby nodded sadly, "Yeah, I can remember my dad, my big sister Yang, my uncle Qrow, and my mom, though she died before I came here." She sighed melancholically, looking back on the faded memories of her early childhood, "I didn't have any friends though. We lived too far out from the nearby town and I was too young to visit it regularly."

The three walked silently for a while afterwards. Celestia and Twilly seemed to pick up on her decreased mood as they gave her some room. Ruby meanwhile dwelled on her memories, or what was left of them. Despite her best efforts, time still managed to obscure much of her past, as her memories became progressively more faded as time went on. As it stood, she could barely remember what her father and uncle looked like, only basic proportions and colors. Her mother was much the same, but was a bit clearer, if only because Ruby pictured her as an older equivalent to herself. The family member she could best remember was Yang, her big sister. She could still remember her long blonde hair, her face, her habit of teasing her when she got the chance, how she took care of her when their mom died and their dad broke.

Ruby felt tears prick at her eyes, because despite how much those memories meant to her, nothing was exact. Were her eyes lavender, lilac, or purple? What was her favorite food? Even memories of the games they would play together had faded. Ruby felt a cloud of depression descend on her as she considered just how many of the things she cared about were fading.

As the three approached the bend in the trail that would lead them to Oaklore Keep, Ruby shook her head, trying to dispel her dour thoughts. There wasn't much she could do about her fading memories but try to return to her homeland, to reconnect with those she loved. Her mood brightened slightly as the small spark of hope reignited within her. Nodding silently, Ruby straightened out and continued on.

When the three arrived at the bend in the trail, revealing much of the massive Oak to the North, Celestia and Twilly stopped, prompting Ruby to do the same. "This is most likely where we shall be parting ways," Celestia said, her ever present gentle smile gaining some extra warmth, "It was nice meeting you, Ruby Rose."

Ruby looked at the woman oddly as she and Twilly made their way to treeline and began heading into the trees, still moving Eastward. "Where are you two going? Bandits are much more likely to attack you in the thickets you know."

The dragon priestess brushed her off, "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Besides, we're running late so this shortcut is necessary."

Frowning, Ruby jogged up to the two as they continued into the Forest. "I'm coming with you then, neither of you look like fighters, and if we get lost I know the sneevils well enough that they'll help us find our way out."

Twilly looked at the redhead, "That was a short goodbye, huh."

Celestia chuckled, "It was." She turned to Ruby, "If you wish to come then I welcome the help."

The three continued into the woods, making small talk as they did so. As they proceeded through the forest, the trees grew taller and the shadows grew thicker. Ruby kept an eye out for any signs of the local bandits who would often times make trouble for travelers.

It didn't take long for said bandits to make their presence known. The party was halted as a group of four bandits leapt from the shadows and surrounded the group. Two halted any retreat, and two others blocked their movement to the North and South, leaving only the East as the direction they could move in. That was quickly blocked by a fifth bandit, whose apparel gave him away as the leader of the small band.

Ruby, Celestia, and Twilly tensed as he approached, Ruby's hands moving to her sheathed daggers, as she cautiously examined the approaching brigand. Unlike the other bandits, who were all garbed in basic, shoddily made leather armor, his was a highly refined set that was died a dark green to better blend into the forest. His gauntlets and boots were lightly armored and he sported a long, flowing purple cloak that was wrapped around his neck. His skin was tanned and his wild, spiky black hair framed dark green eyes that glared at the three hatefully. Despite the venom in his gaze, his mouth was twisted in a cruel smirk.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't a priestess. And it seems she has help, a little kid and a rat." The man's voice wasn't as deep as Ruby expected, and held a bizarrely regal undertone. He eyed her and Twilly, before easily dismissing them both as non threats. "How about you hand over that little package you're carrying there, priestess. If you do, me and my men will make your deaths much quicker. If you don't however," his voice became much darker and gained a sadistic edge, "then we'll **play** with you before finishing you off." The other bandits all chuckled darkly at their boss's words, obviously taking no small amount of pleasure in the prospect.

Ruby unsheathed her Steel Daggers and got into a ready stance, placing herself defensively between the man and Celestia. "I don't know who you are, or why you want that box so badly, but I'm not about to let you lay your grubby hands on anyone here."

Ruby glared at the bandit as he stared at her, before flinching back slightly as he suddenly exploded. " **WHO ARE YOU CALLING 'GRUBBY' PEASANT!? I AM DRAKATH, RIGHTFUL RULER OF THIS FILTHY LAND, LEADER OF THE DARKWOLF BANDITS, AND I REFUSE TO BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT! ESPECIALLY NOT BY SOME FILTHY, LOW-BORN PLEBEIAN WHORE!** " The man unsheathed his long sword, a regal and decorated piece of metal that Ruby would be salivating over had it not been pointed at her threateningly.

Ruby glared at him, "Okay, now that was seriously uncalled for." She readied her daggers as she looked the enraged bandit up and down, a smirk worming its way onto her face as a plan formed in her head. "Besides," her voice became dismissive and taunting, "You don't look like you could cut down a blade of grass, let alone me."

Drakath roared incoherently, obviously beyond himself with rage at her insults, " **MEN! KILL THAT PEASANT FOR HER DEFILING OF MY HONOR!** "

One bandit interrupted, "But sir, what about the Prieste-?" He quickly stopped asking questions when the enraged bandit decapitated him in one strike.

" **TO HELL WITH THE PRIESTESS! THE BITCH'S HEAD IS YOUR MAIN GOAL NOW! WE CAN ALWAYS KILL THE PRIESTESS LATER, THIS MONGREL NEEDS TO DIE NOW!** "

The other bandits, not wanting to end up like their compatriot, all rushed at Ruby, shoddy and poorly made maces swishing through the air as they swung. Ruby quickly jumped out of the way of the bandits, watching as the unskilled underlings slammed each other with their own weapons, a laugh making its way out of her mouth as she did so. Her minor celebration was cut short as an enraged Drakath swung his sword at her neck, forcing her to duck under the attack.

Ruby swung her daggers towards the man's unguarded midriff, but her slashes were rebuffed by his armor. With attacks making little progress, Ruby was forced to dive out of the way of an overhead slash intended to cleave her in twain. Her dodge was cut off as a bandit used his mace to intercept her, slamming into her own lightly armored side.

Gasping, Ruby rolled with the attack, allowing her to evade another attack from Drakath that, in his blind rage, removed the right hand of his minion. Ruby visibly winced as the bandit's pained scream was cut off by a boot the face and an annoyed " **SHUT UP YOU PANSY!** "

The remaining two bandit underlings paused in their attempts to maim Ruby looked at each other. They nodded simultaneously before leaping backwards and readying their maces. Drakath's enraged green eyes moved to them before smirking, immediately understanding their plan, and enjoying the feeling of having capable help for once.

He increased his attacks towards Ruby, forcing her to repeatedly dodge and move backwards to avoid the potentially fatal attacks. She didn't realize the bandits' plan until she felt two maces impact her back, launching her forward and towards the madly grinning Drakath. He stabbed his sword forward, hoping to impale Ruby, but missed when she swung her arms quickly, slamming her daggers into the moving sword and using that as a vault that threw her to the side and out of the sword's path. The bandits were less fortunate and only managed to use their maces at the last moment to block the strike.

While they tried to regain their balance, Ruby threw a smoke pellet at the trio of bandits, blinding them, before using her cloak to cover her face and dash forward, slashing Drakath's face as she dashed past. The man roared again, enraged at the attack. He began swing wildly and blindly, biting into his two remaining minions and striking them from the battle.

The smoke cloud eventually dispersed, revealing a temporarily blinded Drakath and his downed underlings. As he tried to identify which colored blot was his opponent, Ruby ran behind him, slashing at his back and stabbing a blade into his shoulder. At the impact on his shoulder, Drakath swung around, his sword singing in a horizontal arc as he tried to cut down Ruby.

Ruby dived backwards as the enraged bandit swung, causing him to miss and overextend. Ruby responded by driving her dagger into his side, biting through the armor and drawing blood from the man. He staggered back, trying to find his target as his vision slowly returned. He swung for the dark red and black blot, and landed a strike.

Ruby cried out as a the extremely sharp sword tore through her leather armor, leaving a deep cut under her ribs, and knocking her to the ground. She grasped at her bleeding side as the recovering Drakath walked towards her, a twisted smile on his face.

"It seems you've finally gone down, you pest." His voice was calmer than earlier, but still seethed with rage, he slammed his boot into the downed girl's side, causing her to cry out in pain. He ground his boot into the wound, causing the bleeding to increase along with her pain. "Hmph, seems you're not so difficult to cut down after all, brat."

Ruby glared at him, not giving him the pleasure of seeing her fear, even as he lifted his sword, preparing to drive his sword into her gut and finishing her off. Ruby felt an odd itchy feeling in her side as she glared up at him, similar to the feeling she had when drinking a health potion. Subtly looking around while Drakath continued boasting about how he was going to cut her down here and now, she spotted Twilly hiding behind a nearby tree, his staff lifted in the air as he chanted quietly. Realizing what was happening, Ruby forced herself not to grin as she felt the tides turn as her side stitched itself together.

As Drakath stabbed his blade downward, Ruby used her newfound stamina to throw herself forward, past his sword. Drakath's surprise at her sudden movement prevented him from dodging her as she stabbed her dagger into his gut. The blade cut through the lower, weaker part of his armor and brought him to his knees.

Drakath gasped as he gripped his stomach as Ruby leapt back, in case he still attacked her. Drakath struggled to his feet, hand pressed and clenched against the gash on his stomach. He glared hatefully at the redhead, "Y-you little bitch." He gasped in pain, "I'll get you back for this. Enjoy your time while you can."

Grabbing a large item from his own pouch, he threw it on the ground, filling the whole area with smoke. Ruby coughed as the smoke filled her lungs and obscured her vision. By the time the smoke cleared, Drakath was gone. Looking around, Ruby spotted Celestia and Twilly running towards her as she felt her legs give out.

Celestia placed the Black Dragon Box down behind her before she helped Ruby into a sitting position, and checking her side to assess the damage. She frowned as she saw how deep the gash was, "I had Twilly try to heal you, so it must have been a pretty bad injury earlier."

Ruby winced, "Yeah, it hurt an awful lot as well." She turned to Twilly who had begun to work on healing her wound, "Thanks for helping, Twilly. Didn't know you could heal people though."

Twilly nodded as he continued healing her, "Yeah, moglins are really good at healing magic."

Celestia chuckled and said, "Moglins are one of the only beings on Lore that can use powerful healing magic, only fairies tend to outperform them."

While Twilly healed Ruby's injury, Ruby asked, "Celestia, what's in that box anyway? That Drakath guy really wanted it."

Celestia said, "The Black Dragon Box holds a dragon egg that, if ancient prophecies are anything to go by, will either hatch into a dragon destined to save the world from a powerful evil, or will be the destroyer of the world." She shrugged when Ruby looked at her, "The records of the prophecy are incomplete, so I'm bringing it to a mage who is learned enough on the subject that he should be able to determine which it is.'

Ruby's eyes sparkled in wonder, "Wow, so that box is linked to an ancient prophecy? That's actually really cool."

Celestia laughed warmly, "It is, and that's why Drakath wanted it. He most likely needs the dragon's power for his own goals."

The conversation was halted by Twilly stopping his flow of magic. "Your wound is all healed, Ruby!"

She looked at her side to see nothing but a scar left on her torso, "Wow, even healing potions don't do that good of a job, thanks Twilly."

The red moglin smiled happily at her praise as Celestia stood up and helped Ruby up as well. "Well, with your injury patched up, it's time to get a move on." She turned around to grab the box, and her eyes met with a pair of beady, black ones.

Lady Celestia and a sneevil, dressed in clothing styled in a manner unfamiliar to Ruby. They held their position for a moment, the sneevil holding the box over his head, Celestia staring at it, and Ruby standing behind her. Then the sneevil turned around with a snort and dashed into the trees.

Shouting at it to stop, Ruby took off after it, prompting Celestia and Twilly to follow. The two began to lag behind Ruby and the sneevil due to Celestia's robes being designed for far less athletic activities, and Twilly being far shorter than even the sneevil. The sneevil meanwhile was surprisingly fast, and was obviously use to navigating forests as it easily dodged around trees to avoid the redhead who followed it, demanding that it stop.

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to follow, Celestia yelled, "Ruby! Please get that egg back!" Ruby threw up a hand in understanding, not risking turning around and losing track of the speedy gablin. "I'll meet up with you when you do, just make your way to The Elemental Foothills when you do! Warlic should know more about it, and we can go from their!"

Her response was an increasingly more distant 'Okay' from Ruby, as she lost track of the redhead. Gasping for breath, having gotten winded from shouting while running, she looked over to an equally winded Twilly as he caught up to her. "Twilly, I need you to stay in the nearby town of Falconreach, you should be able to meet back up with Ruby and help her from there."

The moglin nodded, "Got it Priestess. Should I tell her-?"

Celestia shook her head, a melancholic smile coming to her face, "No, Ruby cannot learn that any of this was manipulated to happen the way it did."

Twilly gave her a salute with his paw, "I understand."

With that, the dragon priestess turned to the North, knowing how to make their way back to the road, preparing to put their own plans into full motion.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**AN: Hello again folks, and welcome back. Thanks for tuning in, those who have followed and/or faved, as well as those who are here as a passerby, it means a lot to me, especially since we just hit 10 favorites and 14 follows recently. It's honestly quite flattering that over a dozen people are willing keep up with this story, and you have my gratitude for doing so.**

 **Thanks go to guisniperman for the review.**

 **Guisniperman: About your review, well thinking back on it, Chapter One is extremely sloppy, all the way down to the instigating incident of this fic, so suggesting that the portal wasn't natural and may have been purposely created to bring Ruby to Lore does fill up that plot hole. Having Celestia involved in that won't really be a bad thing on her part either, since Ruby would have probably died had she not fallen through the portal.**

 **Sorry about the shorter chapter this week. School is starting and my free time is already going out the window. I'll try to keep up a schedule of one chapter every week or two, more if the opportunity arises.**

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Two figures burst through the Oaklore Forest treeline, one was extremely short and was carrying a box that was larger than its own head, the other about the size of a young teen. The larger figure slowly began gaining on the shorter, the cover of trees no longer granting the short figure their protection. The two bolted past a tired knight and began crossing an old wooden bridge. As the distance between the two lessened, a lithe arm extended towards the figure, slowly nearing the thief's cargo.

Ruby muttered under breath as she reached for the Black Dragon Box, "Come on, just a bit closer." Right before her fingers could graze the box's smooth, lacquered surface, a sudden vibration shook the bridge. With a burst of motion and water, the wood beneath the fleeing sneevil erupted into shards, launching the sneevil into the air, eliciting a scream from the small goblin as it plummeted back down.

It was debatable whether Ruby was in a better position than the now airborne sneevil or not, because while she wasn't taking an unplanned flight, she was now faced down with the cause of her chase's sudden disruption, all the while being stunned by the sudden impact from below. Ruby stepped back nervously as she took in the form of her new foe. A massive, three-headed hydra towered over her, taking the place of what had once been a well maintained bridge. The hydra was clearly an adolescent, on the cusp of maturity but not yet there, as indicated by the smaller, underdeveloped heads that flanked the larger, more mature central one.

Six reptilian eyes stared down at the redhead, they lit up with hunger as they locked onto her form. Three mouths opened in anticipation for the small meal, fangs glistening with weak, underdeveloped venom. Blue scales glimmered in the sunlight as the center head reared back, preparing to lunge at Ruby's stunned form, and the smaller heads began hissing excitedly.

Suddenly the center head lunged forward, its speed blinding as it flew towards her, mouth opened so that it could swallow her whole. Ruby managed to collect herself and dive to the side at the last minute, and quickly found herself panicking as she nearly slid over the edge of the broken bridge. Scrambling to her feet, she immediately took a glob of rancid water and poisonous hydra-mucous to the face, courtesy of one of the hydra's smaller heads, which were spitting out their mildly poisonous fluids to make up for their lacking physical range.

Ruby was really beginning to regret not bringing a weapon with longer range, as any time she tried to get close enough to use her daggers, she was rebuffed by either a gaping, venomous maw, or globs of nauseating fluid. Add to that the fact that the mild venom was already making her feel dizzy and nauseous, and her impromptu battle with the massive serpent was going very badly.

Just as Ruby began to give up and retreat, the knight she ran past earlier ran up to her and used pulled her out of the way of another glob of mucous. "Are you alright," he asked, while Ruby keeled over, trying to prevent herself from vomiting as a wave of nausea overtook her.

Once she recovered from her bout of illness, Ruby pulled herself back up and said, "No, *urp* not really." She wiped some sweat from her brow, "Would you, *urp* mind helping me out here?"

The knight flashed her a confident thumbs up, "Sure thing, I'll handle the big one, if you can distract the little ones, can you do it?"

Ruby bent over the edge of the bridge and threw up. Feeling significantly better, if grosser, she gave him a shaky nod, "I think I can handle that." With her confirmation, Ruby and the knight, who had formally introduced himself as 'Sir Pent,' charged into battle. Well, Sir Pent charged, Ruby staggered forward with speed and purpose.

Sir Pent quickly engaged the central hydra head, easily using his thick armor to prevent its fangs from penetrating his skin. Ruby, meanwhile, withdrew a smoke pellet from her pouch and blinded the small head furthest from her. With that head largely removed from battle for the time being, she shakily engaged the other head, dodging a glob of mucous as she did so.

The central head quickly lost patience as it fought with the knight. Its fangs couldn't pierce his armor, and any attempt to bite down on him was met with a sword slicing through its underdeveloped scaled, leaving bloody trails across its body. Deciding to use a new tactic, the hydra reared back. Sir Pent, seeing this act, immediately prepared to counter another bite, and was subsequently caught off guard by a massive gout of envenomed water and mucous.

The poisonous liquids spilled over him, blasting him backwards and carrying him out of striking distance. The startled knight quickly pulled himself to his feet, removing his waterlogged helm as he did so, coughing as liquid poured from the helmet.

With its current opponent out of the way, the central head turned to Ruby, who had been battling one of its smaller heads. Ruby had made good progress, having gouged out one of its eyes, and having left several cuts across its smaller form.

Panicking at the the sight of its wounded head, the central head tried to intervene, but it failed to land an attack before Ruby could drive her Steel Dagger into the head's throat, before tearing to the side, splattering its reptilian blood and finishing it off. Before Ruby could celebrate her small victory, a massive maw descended onto her, as the enraged, now two-headed hydra attempted to eat her in revenge.

Ruby stabbed her daggers into the sides of the hydra's mouth as it closed around her, and held on for dear life as it tried to swallow her whole. She let out a muffled, "A little help here!" as the hydra continued its efforts to consume the girl.

Sir Pent, who was no longer drowning within his own armor, lunged forward, driving his sword into the lower region of the hydra's throat, causing it to gasp in pain, an act that allowed Ruby to shakily drag herself out of the serpent's maw. Before Sir Pent could turn his stab into a potentially fatal slash, he was blasted aside by an attack from the remaining head, who had recovered from its blindness.

Ruby, who was thoroughly shaken and disgusted by nearly being eaten by the aquatic serpent, quickly grabbed him and pulled him backwards, away from the lunging central head as well as a second burst of venomous mucus that was sent his way. Ruby's retreat gave the staggered knight enough time to regather his wits.

Separating from Ruby, he regained his footing and grumbled, "Stupid snake, why can't it just die quickly? Why did it have to be so sturdy?"

Ruby's pale, almost green face turned back to him, "I don't even know if this thing's tough, or if I'm just too poisoned to hit as hard."

Sir Pent nodded in agreement, "Yeah, *urp* crap, I think it's starting to kick in for me now." The knight wobbled on his feet as a wave of nausea hit him.

Ruby rubbed his armored back, "Just vomit, get some of that crap out of your system." Sir Pent readily obliged while leaning over the edge of the bridge.

While the knight got sick from the poisoning, Ruby quickly took stock of the situation. The hydra still had two heads, the central head was damaged but still going strong, and the remaining smaller head was largely unharmed. Ruby and Sir Pent, on the other hand weren't physically beaten, but the force of the water based attacks and the hydra's poison was making decent work of them. Looking at the weapons in her hands, Ruby determined that unless she could get in close, she was useless against the large central head, and would need Sir Pent to take it on. The smaller head, however, shouldn't be too much for her to handle, so long as Sir Pent could keep the main head off of her while she dealt with it.

Nodding to herself she turned back to the heaving Sir Pent. He was currently clambering back to his feet, still recovering from his poisoning. He looked over at Ruby, "So, we just doing the same thing as last time?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, it's just the two heads now, so we should be able to deal them easily."

With their brief recovery time up, the two ran back into battle, engaging their respective heads. Ruby's daggers flashed through the air, leaving shallow cuts through the small head's weaker scales. The head responded by hissing angrily and lunging at Ruby, its small fangs aiming to sink into her shoulder.

Ruby jumped aside, swinging a dagger into the side of the lunging head, catching the side of its mouth and tearing through to the base of its jaw. The hydra recoiled in pain, ceasing its attempt to kill Ruby. Capitalizing on its weakness, Ruby lunged forward, driving her dagger into the hydra's heavily exposed throat and, much like the last head she dealt with, she tore through the side, felling the second head.

Meanwhile, Sir Pent was clashing with the central head, however both were underperforming from their earlier battle. The damage dealt to the hydra and the bloodloss it suffered reduced its strength and speed noticeably. Meanwhile, Sir Pent was still facing some of the less extreme symptoms of the weak hydra venom, bogging down his ability to efficiently move or fight.

Slightly shaking sword met dulled fang, a stumbling dodge evaded a tired lunge. The two foes fought on, despite their fatigue, their attacks were sloppy, and slow. As their battle waged on, it eventually came to the point where Sir Pent lost the strength needed to effectively fight back. His sword bounced off the hydra's scales, no longer having the force to pierce the serpent's hide.

The tired hydra reared back, preparing to finish the knight, when it spasmed in pain. It hissed loudly as Ruby's dagger easily sunk into an open wound that Sir Pent had left earlier, unobstructed by the thick scales.

Ryby threw her weight into the dagger as she tried to drag it through the hydra's scaly hide, however she wasn't able to make significant progress into the scales before the serpent unleashed another gout of envenomed water and mucus. The poisonous flow pushed Ruby backwards away the monster, releasing her dagger along the way. Sir Pent was also blasted backwards by the liquid, and was left sprawled across the bridge, his sword out of his reach.

The two groaned as they tried to recover from the new dosage of poison. Ruby's vision swam as she struggled to get back to her feet. New waves of nausea washed over her, making her swoon and nearly vomit. Despite this, Ruby forced herself to ignore the poison's effects and focus on the wounded hydra before her.

The creature was heaving, obviously exhausted, blood seeped from wounds crisscrossing its body. The hydra's behaviour and appearance made it more than just apparent that the serpent was on its last legs, much like Ruby and the still downed Sir Pent. Ruby's dropped Steel Dagger could be seen glinting at the edge of the bridge, under the hydra's chin, blood pooling around it.

Narrowing her eyes, Ruby moved her gaze to Sir Pent's discarded blade. It was a standard longsword of average make, only moderately decorated to denote its use by a knight. Her shaking hand reached down and grasped its handle, and she slowly pulled it to her. She sheathed her remaining dagger and used both arms to hold the simple Steel Longsword. Ruby had a harder time holding the weapon than she expected, but that was most likely due to how weak the poison was making her feel.

Tightening her hold on the blade, Ruby bent her knees and held the blade at the ready, watching the hydra as it gathered itself from the pain of having knife in its throat and the exhaustion of expelling so much fluid. As it raised its head to glare at the diminutive redhead, Ruby gathered her remaining strength to kick off the ground. As she neared the exhausted hydra, Ruby slammed a foot into the wet, slippery slime that coated the bridge in front of the hydra. The force of her attempt to stop, combined with lack of friction caused by the hydra's fluids allowed Ruby to spin on her foot. The combination of her forward momentum and the new sideways one she got from her turn, and slammed the longsword into the hydra's neck.

The momentum combined with the blade's weight tore through the serpent's scales, severing arteries and tissue. The hydra released a gurgling hiss as it struggled to remain upright, blood pouring from the gaping wound on its neck. With one final burst of adrenaline, it lunged forward. It's aim was slightly off, but Ruby's exhausted form wasn't able to move fast enough to avoid having a long fang stab into her shoulder. Ruby let out a pained shriek as a burning pain spread through the wound as she retreated, pulling the curved tooth from her shoulder as she did so.

The hydra, having sustained a lot of damage already, collapsed. It fell downwards towards the river, life draining from its body. As it fell, its large head caught on the edges of the broken bridge, the beast's teeth jamming into the wood as the back of its head was wedged into the gap.

Ruby exhaustedly eyed the hydra's still form as it sat in the gap between the two sides of the bridge. Looking across the gap, she noted with no small amount of irritation that the sneevil who had stolen the Black Dragon Box had long since recovered and fled, leaving nothing but a somewhat wet trail leading East. Looking down Ruby stomped on the dead hydra's head, testing to see how stable it was. To her surprise, the head didn't budge, no matter how hard she kicked, though it was still wet and slippery.

Shrugging she bent down and picked up the Steel Dagger she dropped before stumbling over towards Sir Pent, who was slowly struggling to his feet. She let out a hacking cough as she reached out a shaky hand to help him up, and he responded with an equally shaking of thanks. The two stood silently for a moment, still experiencing the affects of the hydra's poison. Ruby handed the sickly Sir Pent his sword, which he took with a tired "Thank you."

"Eugh, I don't think I've ever felt this sick before," Ruby gagged, a suffering look on her face, "I think I'm need to see Reens."

Sir Pent groaned, trying to keep himself from vomiting again, "I have, but it was only after those jerks Sir Prize and Sir Cuss snuck laxatives into the kitchen's spice rack." The knight shuddered, partially from the poison, partially from the horrific memory. Ruby winced in sympathy, knowing full well that those two had a habit of going overboard in their fun.

Sir Pent groaned, "That being said, I think I'll stop by Oaklore Keep, It's almost time to swap shifts anyway."

The two turned, waving each other goodbye, "Say high to Sir Junn for me," Ruby said as she nervously tested the hydra's head again, praying that it wouldn't collapse as she crossed."

Sir Pent nodded, swaying as he did so due to a sudden feeling of vertigo, "I'll *urk* do that."

The two tired, dizzy, and poisoned individuals staggered off, waving their farewells to one another. Sir Pent vanished into the woods, heading towards Oaklore Keep, and Ruby cautiously stepped onto the hydra's corpse, slowly making her way across it, trying to suppress her shudders so that she wouldn't lose her balance and fall into the river.

Once she made her way to the other side of the bridge, Ruby threw her hands into the air, "Yeah! I made i- eugh" Ruby's sudden movements caused a wave of dizziness to rush over her, causing her to nearly fall over and get sick again. Recovering from the nausea, Ruby staggered forward and muttered to herself, "Stupid poison, stopping me from being happy." With her attempt to celebrate her minor victory over the forces of reduced friction and gravity ruined, Ruby began making her way down the road, heading East towards Falconreach.

* * *

Reens was taking stock of her medical supplies, making a list of materials she was running low on that she would either need to order a shipment of, or gather on her own. She quietly counted out the numbers of alchemic ingredients she had in storage, frowning as she jotted down some of the materials she was lacking. She stretched her arms, sighing at the current state of her supply cabinet.

"Looks like I'm going to need to head out and gather ingredients soon," she groaned to herself, staring tiredly at her ceiling as she leaned back in her chair. The sudden slamming of her door caused the blue haired doctor to nearly lose her balance as she pushed back to hard. Readjusting her balance, she looked over at the door to see a Guardian supporting a pale-faced Ruby Rose.

"Hey Reens, got a new patient for you," he said as deposited a sickly, slightly bleeding Ruby on a chair by the door, receiving a small 'thanks' from the girl.

Reens thanked the Guardian walked up to the young girl, placing a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. As her hand heated up on the furnace that was greenish girl, she asked, "By the Avatars, Ruby, what happened to you?"

Ruby groaned while Reens moved away to get some fever relievers, disinfectant, and bandages, "I got into a fight with a hydra."

Reens flew around, returning to look over the redhead with a sudden fervor, "A hydra!?" She began to poke around her mouth, eyes, nose, basically anything poison could have easily entered her body through, as well as the wound on her shoulder. "Where on Lore did you find a hydra!? How are you even alive!?"

Ruby grunted in pain as Reens began poking around her open wound, "It was a young one, living in the river by Oaklore."

Reens narrowed her eyes in concern, "I've never heard of hydras living in that river, I'll need to ask some Guardians to search for more once I'm done treating you." Reens scurried back to her cabinet, quickly grabbing some disinfectant, bandages, and a healing potion. She also dug through her materials until she found some anti-venom. It wasn't an antidote geared towards hydra venom in particular, but the cure-all was usually enough to reduce the effects of most poisons.

Reens hurried back to Ruby and began to treat her wounds. The anti-venom and the healing potion were consumed, and Reens began cleaning, disinfecting, and wrapping her wounds. While Reens worked, Ruby felt herself slowly getting better. She slowly felt less nauseous, her body stopped burning, and the ache in her shoulder was already diminishing.

Once Reens was finished with her work, Ruby attempted to get to her feet, only for the town doctor to push her back down. "No Ruby, you can't leave yet."

Ruby groaned, "But Reens, I only stopped in to get patched up. I don't have time to just sit here."

"And why do you need to go right now, exactly? I'm certain you can afford to spend at least a day or two recovering."

Ruby shook her head emphatically, "No, I need to get some stolen property back for a priestess."

Reens looked at her oddly, "And why is this an emergency?"

"If I take too long I'll lose it, there are a group of bandits trying to get it, and it also supposedly holds a dragon egg that will either hatch into a dragon saves or ends the world." Ruby looked straight into Reens's eyes for dramatic effect, "It's pretty important."

Reens sighed tiredly at the girl, "While that is very important, I still can't let you leave in good faith." Reens held up a hand to halt Ruby's protests "I get that what you're doing is important, but being healthy enough to not die is also important." Reens handed Ruby an extra healing potion alongside an anti-venom. "Take both of these tomorrow morning to make sure your system is flushed of the toxins. And if you need to, ask some Guardians about the thief you're chasing, they may have seen something, or know something that may help you.

Ruby crossed her arms and pouted, but knew that Reens wouldn't budge on the subject of her health. "Fine, I guess I'll just ask some Guardians before heading back to the inn."

Reens smiled as the grumbling girl left, relieved that she'd listened to her. Shaking her head, Reens went back to taking inventory. As she worked, she couldn't help but feel happy to know that the town's resident wannabe hero had a job. Though she was slightly annoyed that someone would lie and tell her that the stolen item was a legendary dragon egg. After all, no one would trust a teen with that sort of responsibility, right?

Reens would later regret writing off Ruby's mission, though she wouldn't regret questioning if that was the sort of responsibility Ruby could handle.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**AN: Hello again folks, and welcome back to Ruby's Lore. Thanks to everyone reading this fic of mine.**

 **As usual, thanks go to the reviewers last chapter, guisniperman and Hige the bearded.**

 **Thanks for the review, guisniperman, and of course the sneevil couldn't break his legs, things are never that easy. As for the monster loot thing, I'm writing this fic a tad more realistic than DF is normally played, so monsters don't have fat stacks of cash ripe for the taking, unless they are known to hoard that sort of thing. On the plus side, that means I won't have to deal with that side of the Robina questline, on the downside, this chapter will be covering everything I had to make up to explain why someone like Robina, who forces you to work for her to recover your own stolen goods, would just hand the Black Dragon Box to Ruby.**

 **Thanks for the complement Hige, I'm glad you think the fic's pretty good. As for why so many DF x RWBY crossovers exist, I'd assume it's because the two are rather similar in nature. They both start off as unassuming, low budget, low quality passion products with less than impressive writing. But as time goes on both increase in quality, become their own interesting and unique worlds, and really become quality products.**

 **Or maybe people just think that the idealistic Adventurer and Ruby Rose were two characters who shouldn't not meet, since they're both highly dedicated hero characters. Dunno, either works I guess, it's why I rolled them into one for this fic.**

 **Without further ado, let's get into the fic.**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Last night she had made several passes around the town's Guardians to see if any had seen the sneevil earlier, and while none had seen it running past, they did recognize the clothes she described as being common amongst the sneevils of Surewood Forest, to the East of Falconreach.

With her destination in mind, Ruby took a right as she left the inn and ran right into a young teen. Ruby and the teen yelped as they impacted, clutching their foreheads where they hit. Ruby looked up from her painful crash to see the familiar form of Ash Dragonblade, the young farmboy and wannabe knight who acted as one of her friends. His messy brown hair was cut rather short, though much to Ruby's chagrin, he himself was not. Despite being a couple years younger than her, Ash was still about as tall as she was, maybe an inch or so taller.

Unlike the last time she saw him, Ash wasn't in his normal farmhand clothes, instead he was wearing a thick, long sleeved short and rough pants, with various pieces of cheap plate armor strapped to various body parts. The largest were a full pair of greaves, gauntlets, and a small breastplate that only covered the left side of his chest. Hooked at his waist, 'and dragging on the ground,' Ruby noted with a slight twitch, was the Iron Longsword Ruby had given him back when they first met.

"Hey Ash, think you could've picked a better time to visit?" Ruby's question was playful, but Ash seemed to feel embarrassed about it as he looked at her.

"Hey Ruby, long time no see." The brunette rubbed the back of his head nervously, refusing to look at her directly. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Ruby shrugged nonchalantly, wincing slightly at a pinch in her injured shoulder, "Sure, go ahead."

Ash paused for a moment, steeling himself to ask his question, "Would you, maybe, please, erm…" Ash paused before taking a breath, "Would you please teach me to fight!?"

It took Ruby a moment respond to Ash's rushed question, "Uhh, well, Ash I really don't think I'm the kind of person to ask for combat lessons. Couldn't you go ask a Guardian? Or a knight? Or someone who doesn't mostly use daggers rather than swords?"

Ash shook his head, a determined look on his face, "Nope, I've already asked them for help, but all they do is give advice. I need help actually fighting."

Ruby looked at Ash apologetically, "Sorry, but I've got a stolen box to recover, I don't really have time to help you with that. Besides, won't your dad get upset if you skip out on farm work?"

Ash grinned at her, "Nah, Pa let me off, said he was 'proud his son wanted to protect the innocent" and let me come if I could get training." Ash scratched the back of his head, a nervous grin on his face, "And I don't mind helping you get stolen box you mentioned, field training is still training."

Ruby frowned in worry, "I dunno Ash, things can get pretty dangerous out there, besides a dangerous bandit is trying to get it too."

"Did you already beat this bandit before," Ash asked, an odd tone in his voice.

Ruby looked at him confused, "Well yeah, but I don't think the tricks I used on him will work a second time."

"So? You already beat him once, I bet you could do it again easily! Besides, I'll give you support, so what's there to lose?"

Ash's confident, and rather flattering tone, made Ruby grin. "Well alright, come on, we're heading to Surewood to hunt a sneevil." Ruby motioned to Ash before stepping around him and continuing on her original path towards Falconreach's East exit.

Ash jogged after her, a grin on his face as he imagined how the upcoming adventure would go. How they would venture through the forest, conquer an entire civilization of sneevils. Get jumped by an entire bandit gang, led by the "dangerous bandit leader" Ruby mentioned. The two companions would battle it out with the hoard, taking them down one by one, until the two injured companions were face to face with a massive bandit lord. The leader would battle them, eventually knocking down Ruby and he would lift his sword, preparing to deal the killing blow, before Ash stepped in, taking him down and saving his friend. And then, she would see him as a hero and-"

Ash's fantasy was cut short as he ran into Ruby's back. They had proceeded into Surewood during his daydreaming, and Ruby had paused in front of him without him noticing, leading to his running into her.

Ruby, meanwhile, was holding back the reflexive scream of rage she felt building up as she stared at the scene in front of her. The sneevil that had caused her so much trouble, that had led her into a hydra attack, and had stolen a legendary item, was currently flailing around pathetically, upside down, attached to a tree by rope, as a young woman with light brown hair looked up at it with a satisfied smirk.

The woman called tauntingly up to struggling sneevil, holding The Black Dragon Box in hand, "Hey little guy, you want this box back~?"

The sneevil's struggling increased dramatically as its beady eyes locked onto the onyx container, "Yes! Gib me dat!"

The woman spun around on her heel, placing the box onto a pile of other containers, "Well you can't have it, it's mine now."

The sneevil began shrieking angrily as it thrashed about, demanding that the woman return the box to him."

The woman turned around, and her eyes fell on the two youths. She waved the two over, "Hey, what are you kids doing out here? Isn't it dangerous for kids your age?"

Ruby glared at her, "I'm trying help a priestess get her stolen goods back, and no, I'm not in danger. I can handle myself thank you."

Ash nodded behind her, "Yeah, Ruby's really tough, she'll be fine no matter what."

"Oh really," the woman asked, a smirk still on her face, "and I'm supposed to believe that a couple of lightly armoured kids aren't in any danger out here?"

"Hah!" Ruby scoffed at the woman, a smirk growing across her own face, "And what about you?" Ruby gestured to the woman's clothing, which consisted of a short green dress, leather boots, and light leather archer's gloves. "You're less armoured than either of us." Thinking for a second she added, "It's close to a princess pretending to be an archer than the clothes of an actual archer."

Something about Ruby's words seemed to strike a nerve within the woman, causing her to shoot the redhead a seething glare, "Do you know who I am? I am Robina, famed archer and mugger of bandits. I'm not some princess playing dress-up." She glared at Ruby, a frown marring her face, "Besides, look at you. You've got like what, five weapons on you? What kind of person needs that many weapons? You look like some wannabe thug."

While the two women argued over who looked more like an unprepared cosplayer, Ash walked up to Robina's pile of recovered goods and picked up the Black Dragon Box. "Hey Ruby, is this what we were looking for?"

Ruby looked over from her argument, "Yeah, that's the box Lady Celestia asked me to get."

She tried to approach Ash to grab it from him, but Robina threw an arm in front of her and grabbed the box from Ash's hands, causing the two to let out sounds of protest. "Nope, you don't get this box."

"What, why," Ruby groaned, already getting tired of Robina's antics, "That item belongs to Priestess Celestia you know."

Robina turned her nose up at Ruby, "Oh well, I'm not letting you have it." She spun around and pointed to Ruby, "Unless, of course, you're willing to work for it?"

Ruby glared at her, "I don't have time to do your chores, I need to get that back to its rightful owner."

Robina smirked, "Then I guess you won't be able to complete your task." Robina set the box down before seating herself on it, enjoying Ruby's irritated gaze.

They held that position for a minute before Ruby finally gave in. "Fine, I'll do your stupid work."

"Atta girl," Robina said patronizingly, "Glad to see you know when to fold." Robina pointed up to the North-East, "There's a bandit camp up to the North-East, led by a nasty piece of work named Vaz Striker. Capture him and recover a shipment they recently stole, and I'll give you the box."

Ash gaped at her words, "Vaz Striker!? Isn't he one of the most wanted criminals around!? I heard he's killed and maimed more knights than every other bandit leader combined!"

Ruby shrugged and said, "Doesn't matter, we'll do it." Before Ash could protest, she grabbed his arm and dragged him along with her, "Come on Ash, let's just get this over with."

Ash simply began regretting his decision to go with Ruby, he hadn't actually thought that they'd be running into any dangerous bandits, and was pretty terrified of the prospect.

* * *

Several minutes of walking later, Ruby and Ash could be found hiding behind a bush, eyeing a large fort surrounded by walls made of pointed logs. Two bandits stood guard by the entrance, arguing over some raid loot, slight slurs in their words implying a degree of drunkenness. Ruby narrowed her eyes as the two's argument began heating up. Seeing an opportunity to get past them easily, Ruby snuck around and hid behind a tree located behind one of the arguing guards. Picking up a rock, Ruby hurled it at the bandits. The rock impacted the face of one of the bandits, causing him to punch his fellow guard while shouting at him for attacking him. Confused, the other drunken guard responded in kind, throwing his own blows towards his comrade.

A few minutes later, Ruby and Ash were strolling up to two unconscious bandits, fresh from the fist fight that she had helped instigate. The two stepped over the knocked out guards and carefully stepped into the bandit camp.

Grass quietly crunched under their feet as they crept through the camp's entrance, looking for any sign of other bandits. "Should we really be doing this?" Ash whispered to Ruby, a nervous look on his face, "It might be easier to just distract Robina and take the box then."

"Maybe," Ruby whispered back, "But at least this way we still take out a scumbag as well as getting the box back."

Ash nodded in acceptance, still somewhat nervous.

Ruby slowly made her way around a corner, looking around the corner. Three bandits were standing down the path, having a calmer, noticeably less drunken conversation. Ruby childishly grumbled about her inability to get them to deal with each other.

The bandits stiffened, causing Ruby to quickly pull her head back and hide behind the wall, "Did ya 'ere that" a gruff bandit asked, looking in the direction of Ruby's hiding spot.

"Yeah, sounded like someone was talking, someone who shouldn't be here."

The bandits rushed around the corner, forcing Ruby to jump backwards to avoid their sudden attack. Ash wasn't quite as quick as Ruby was and received a light cut on his torso, it tore his clothing but was kept from piercing his skin by his pseudo-armour.

Ruby took a quick moment to take stock of their opponents' weapons. The one at the front was wielding a shortsword that was weathered with misuse and lack of upkeep. The bandit to his left had a simple club that he wielded like a mace, it was amateurishly crafted from leather, wood, and rocks and probably wouldn't be able to take too much pressure without breaking. The bandit on his right had a single, cheap dagger that he held in a standard grip, implying a lack of any real training and a preference for just rushing in and stabbing targets.

With her examination of the bandits completed, Ruby shoved Ash towards the dagger wielding bandit with a shout of, "Take him down, Ash!" With Ash stumbling forward to sloppily engage an equally unskilled opponent, Ruby withdrew a smoke pellet and used it to blind the club carrying bandit on the left and quickly engaged the swordsman.

The area was soon filled with clangs as the bandit slashed at her with his sword and Ruby did her best to dodge or parry every attack she could. Eventually, Ruby managed to force the bandit to overextend by parrying his sword to the side, allowing her to attack his unprotected side. Her daggers carved into his thick leather armor and grazed his skin.

The bandit responded by yelling in rage and stabbing forward with his shortsword, forcing Ruby to dodge to the side to avoid the battered metal blade. Ruby's dodge was cut short when she slammed into the blinded bandit, who capitalized on the opportunity by spinning in place and trying to slam his club into Ruby's form. However, Ruby ducked, allowing the club to soar overhead and slam across the swordsman's face.

Spittle flew from his mouth as he was knocked off balance, and he was unable to prevent Ruby from jumping up and stabbing at his unprotected arm, her blades entering his shoulder. The bandit shouted in pain, dropping his Worn Sword and clutching the bleeding wound. Ruby finished him off with a hilt slam to the head, knocking him out.

Meanwhile Ash and the dagger wielding bandit were desperately trying to hit one another, their sloppy attacks only ever landing because their opponent was too unskilled to dodge, block, parry, or really do anything defensive. Ash was doing better than his opponent by virtue of having some actual armor, and as such taking less direct blows to his body than the leather clad bandit.

A surprise stab from the bandit caused Ash to jump backwards and swing his longsword in an attempt to fend off the assailant. Ash's eyes widened as the he managed to land a strong hit to his opponent's midsection, causing the man to yelp and grab his somewhat bleeding torso. Ash smirked as realized something about his weapon.

He back stepped once again when the bandit renewed his assault, slashing from a distance, Ash managed to get in another solid attack, then another, and another. Before long, Ash was using his sword's length to attack while keeping the dagger wielder at bay. The two's battle eventually came to a close as Ash stepped forward, bringing his blade down in an overhead slash. The sword tore through the front of the bandit's leather armor and left a gash on his chest. Ash followed up by slamming the flat of his blade into the man's head knocking, him out.

Ash turned to watch Ruby's fight with the last bandit. His attacks were slow and predictable, and even with hi eyesight back his aim was poor. Ruby easily weaved around his attacks before delivering her own. The small fight didn't last long before Ruby finished off her foe, easily knocking him out.

With the three bandits unconscious, Ruby stretched out her shoulders, a bored look on her face, "Man, I kinda hope this 'Vaz Striker' guy is actually dangerous, these guys are kinda boring to fight."

Ash gave her a flat look, breathing somewhat heavily from his own fight, "Boring? I thought I was gonna die for a second back there."

Ruby simply shrugged, "Hey, you asked to come, and I gave you the weakest one to fight. If you wanna turn back, or drag the unconscious guys to Robina, you can."

Ash shook his head, mouth forming into a determined line, "No, I agreed to help you out, I'm not gonna stop just because things are harder than I thought."

Ruby nodded and handed him one of her healing potions, "Alright then. Drink this if you wind up getting hurt, then retreat, got it?"

Ash nodded, pocketed the potion, and they headed further into the encampment.

As they continued deeper into the camp, they ran into several more bandits, some were unskilled, others were obviously experienced in their line of 'work.' Equipment quality varied vastly between bandits, though the greenhorns and newbloods often were the ones with cheaper, older gear whereas the more experienced veterans held sturdier, more dangerous gear.

The two slowly battled their way through the camp, bandit after bandit falling before them. Ruby only had moderate trouble, receiving nothing worse than a few nicks and scratches, aside from a somewhat deep cut on her left arm. Ash was a bit worse for ware, being covered in somewhat deeper cuts, though nothing that couldn't be easily cleaned and wrapped to stop any bleeding.

The two eventually came to a stop in front a large tent, designed for military commanders, that was situated in the center of the maze-like walls of the camp. Glaring at them from the entryway of the tent was a large bandit. He was dressed in thick leather armor, with a red bandana covering his head and a steel face plate protecting his mouth. In his hand was a shortsword with a blade that held a bizarre redish orange hue. The blade was jagged, with several points that stuck out, and were connected by semicircles of missing metal. The air around his blade was slightly warping, as if it was being exposed to a high heat.

The man let out a low, guttural growl as he eyed the young intruders, "And what do yeh think yer doin' here, girlie? This isn't exactly a prime place to take yer boyfriend on a date you know."

Ruby got into a low stance, her daggers held in reverse grips at her sides, "Vaz Striker!" She paused for a moment, "You are Vaz Striker, right?" At the man's nod she continued, "Vaz Striker! I, Ruby Rose, am here to capture you!"

The man chuckled, "Oh, so yer here for the bounty then? Yeh won't be the first one, and yeh certainly won't be the last either." A smirk could easily be heard in his voice, as he lifted his odd sword and pointed at them. "Though, it will be my first time taking down a couple of kids, I hope you make it interesting for me."

Ruby pouted at the bandit, "I'm not a kid, I'm fifteen." She then grumbled under her breathe, "Why does everyone call me a kid, I'm not that young."

Ruby's face fell into an irritated flat expression when the bandit began to laugh, "Hah, yer fifteen!? Hahahahahahahahahahaha, but yer so SHORT!" The bandit's laughter caused Ruby's eyebrow to twitch a bit.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm due for a growth spurt anytime now! I already drink enough milk and eat well enough, so I'll be just as tall as everyone else pretty soon!"

The bandit snickered at her, "Sure, maybe if 'everyone else' are dwarves," Ruby shouted angrily at his comment, though he just brushed her off, "Yeh know what kid? I think I'll let yeh go. Yer funny, so I'll spare you." When Ruby held her ground, the man got into ready position, the sword held firmly in hand, "But if you refuse to leave, me and Firebrand here are gonna hafta end yer lives, understood?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes, "Tempting as it is, I can only finish my job if I bring you in." Ruby carefully withdrew a smoke pellet and readied it, waiting for Striker to strike.

The bandit leader sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Welp, seems yeh can't be reasoned with, girlie. That's a shame, but can't say I didn't see it coming." Vaz Striker dashed forward with surprising skill, his sword searing the air as it swung towards Ruby, "Too bad, I was really gonna let yeh leave."

Ruby ducked under the hot blade, and then dived backwards, hoping to get out of Vaz's range. However, he quickly advanced with her, keeping Ruby from gaining the distance needed to utilize her smoke pellet without risking blinding herself. The two's battle quickly became a desperate game of cat and mouse, Ruby ducking, dodging, and rolling away from the Firebrand, and Vaz Striker easily following her, keeping her within striking distance.

Ruby got a reprieve from the heat when Vaz was forced to block an overhead strike from Ash. With her opponent distracted, Ruby leapt away from him, putting as much room between herself and the bandit as possible. With room to operate, Ruby threw her smoke pellet at Vaz Striker, hoping to blind him.

To her shock, Vaz spun his sword in hand and batted the smoke pellet away before it could explode in his face. He smirked and said, "Neat trick yeh got there girlie, too bad I've been around the bend enough times to see things like that coming." He then dashed to the side, swinging his sword at an unsuspecting Ash.

Ash managed to bring up his longsword in order to block the attack, and they held a deadlock for a few seconds. That stopped when Vaz's smirk grew and the heat around his sword began to increase, causing smoke to begin billowing off Ash's sword.

It was only Ruby's gut feeling and instinct that saved Ash from possible death. Her shout of "Quick! Dodge, DODGE!" Prompted Ash to lunge to the side, moving his slightly weakened blade from the deadlock. Had he moved even a second later, Ash would have been consumed by the sudden gout of flames that blasted from the Firebrand and engulfed the spot he had previously inhabited.

Ash and Ruby watched the fires burn with a degree of fear, eliciting a grin from Vaz Striker. "Like my weapon, kids? It was the hottest thing on the market for a while." The criminal chuckled at his own joke, reveling in their shock.

Ruby recovered first, grabbing one of the small Iron Daggers strapped to her lower leg and readied it. Vaz Striker rose an eyebrow, already figuring out what she would try to do. As he did so, he slowly stalked towards her, weapon in a calm yet prepared stance, smirk still present on his face.

The two slowly circled each other, searching for an opening to strike. Vaz Striker seemed to find his opportunity when he flew forward in a burst of speed, Firebrand's burning blade swiping through the air towards her head. Ruby rolled backwards, allowing the sword to soar over her head. With his guard down for a second, Ruby shot to her feet, throwing the Iron Dagger she had previously withdrawn towards Vaz's unprotected side.

The force with which she threw the dagger allowed it to pierce the leather armor he was garbed in, causing the bandit to wince in pain as the blade cut into his flesh. He used his left hand to pull out the dagger and glare at it, before tossing it aside and glaring at Ruby, a slightly more feral smile on his face.

"Well girlie, looks like yeh still got tricks up yer sleeve, good, I was afraid things would become boring." He then spun around, sword burning as he slashed at Ash, who was sneaking up on him, sword raised to strike. Despite the strike only grazing him, Ash jumped back with a pained shout, his shirt ablaze. Ash quickly dropped his sword, attempting to pat out the flames that had sprung up on his shirt.

Vaz moved in to strike down Ash while he was trying to quell the flames, but was cut off by a sword swinging in from the side. He dodged out of the way to see Ruby holding the shortsword she had strapped to her back in both hands, a glare on her face.

Ruby's stance while holding the sword was amateurish, showing that she was more comfortable with her daggers. Despite that, Ruby tightened her grip on the sword, hoping that the weapon would give her enough distance to not get burned by the Firebrand.

Vaz Striker smirked and lunged at her midriff, forcing Ruby to bring up the sword to block the attack. Enchanted metal met tempered steel as the two weapons clashed, Ruby was forced back by the bandit's strength. She staggered back from the force of his attack, but held her Steel Shortsword firm, blocking the attack.

The two continued to clash, Ruby desperately trying to block any attack that came her way, Vaz Striker easily advancing on her anytime she tried to get some breathing room. He kept a smirk on his face the whole time, persisting his attacks in a leisurely manner, obviously not having any issues with the fight.

After a while he sighed, flames bursting around his Firebrand as he lifted it up to strike down Ruby, "Sorry kid, it's been fun, but it's high time to strike you down." Right before he could launch a gout of flame from his sword, he found himself staggering forward as an attack impacted his back.

He turned as he staggered forward, preparing to redirect his Firebrand to the brunette who had slashed his back, tearing through his leather armor. However, before he could strike out at Ash, Ruby followed up with her own slashes, biting into his side and back.

Vaz Strike groaned in pain as he leapt away from the two, reassessing the threat the two in front of him posed. He thrust his sword forward, unleashing yet another dangerous gout of flames, forcing Ash and Ruby to scatter. He quickly capitalized on this, jumping forward and slamming his heel into Ash's chest, knocking him to the ground.

Before he could even consider following up, another of Ruby's Iron Daggers was thrown into his back, easily sliding into the tears in his armor and slicing into his lower back. As he tried to yank out the iron blade, Ruby leapt at him, slashing at his unguarded side with her shortsword. Her blade cut into his side, forcing Vaz Striker to retreat a couple meters, Firebrand held in one hand and side grasped in the other.

He glared at the redhead, his earlier smile nowhere to be found, "Tch, and here I was thinking I'd feel bad about cutting yeh down," his gaze hardened a bit as he ground out "Too bad for you, now I'm gonna enjoy it."

Vaz Striker practically flew through the air, Firebrand glowing brightly with magical flames. Ruby barely managed to block the strike her sword shuddering under the impact. The two pressed their swords together, trying to beat the deadlock, when a feral grin broke Striker's face. Ruby gapsed in shock as the burning blade began to sink into her Steel Sword, slowly melting through her hard work. Her attempt to pull back proved futile as the as enchanted sword caught the retreating blade, and continued melting through it.

Right before he could melt through her weapon and strike down Ruby, Vaz was sent sprawling by a sudden stab to his side. While his armor just barely held, preventing him from being skewered, Ash's surprise attack halted his attack and forced him off of Ruby. Ruby quickly recovered, lifting her semi-melted blade, and swung its flat side at his bandana covered head. Vaz only had time to widen his eyes in shock before the sword struck, making his vision fade, even s he watched the sword's damaged blade snap on the impact and sail through the air.

* * *

Robina looked up from her large collection of stolen bandit and sneevil goods to see the harried forms of Ruby and Ash approaching her from the East. They were both covered in wounds, dirt, and soot, and both looked exhausted. Ruby held an orange blade in one hand, and a rope in the other. The rope was tied around an unconscious Vaz Striker.

Robina's eyes widened considerably, her mouth opened in horror as she saw the two. She stumbled to her feet in shock, "W-whoah, wait a second, you two _actually_ went and fought him!?"

Ruby glared at her, "Yeah, we did. Can we have the Black Dragon Box now?"

Robina ignored her as she ran up and grabbed the redhead's shoulders before shaking her and shouting "YOU IDIOTS! I TOLD YOU THAT SO THAT YOU WOULD JUST LEAVE! YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO ACTUALLY GO FIGHT HIM! WHAT IF YOU DIED!?"

Robina's hysterical shouting really aggravated Ruby, "So wait, you sent us on what you thought was an impossible task, one that you actually thought would kill us!?" She glared at the woman who was panicking in front of them, "What is wrong with you?"

The auburn haired thief seemed to be on the verge of tears, "I-I didn't think-"

A gruff voice cut her off "Damn right yeh didn't think, brat." Ruby, Ash, and Robina all looked down to see a conscious, though still bound Vaz Striker. He was glaring up at the green-clad thief, distaste clear in his eyes, "Had these kids not been somewhat skilled, and been together, I would have killed them." His gaze seemed to stab into Robina's soul, "Yer just some irresponsible brat, not the 'noble thief' yeh pretend to be."

With his biting into the irresponsible thief complete, Striker turned his head to Ruby, "So, yer gonna turn me into the Guardians, kid?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, you're still a bandit, even if a weirdly nice one."

The bandit shrugged his shoulders, "Eh, I like kids, enough to not attack them without reason at least, that's all."

Ash grabbed the rope holding Vaz Striker from Ruby, "But first you should grab the thing we came for, right?" As he said that he gestured over the Black Dragon Box, it's onyx lid glimmering in the afternoon sun.

Nodding, Ruby walked past the despondent Robina and grabbed the box. She was about to just turn back to Ash and be on her way when a thought struck her, she placed a hand on the lid, 'It would be fine to just open it, right? I've gotta make sure the egg is okay, after all.' Nodding to herself, Ruby prepared to open the box. However, right before she could crack it open, a shout from Vaz Striker alerted her to an incoming threat, allowing her to dodge away from a flying boulder at the last second, the box flying from her grip at the last second.

Ruby's eyes widened, and she made to dive for the item, but before she could, a familiar black-haired bandit caught it. Drakath smirked at her, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the obnoxious wench from last time. Thanks for tracking this down for me, you've made life a whole lot easier."

Ruby glared at him, "Draken! Put that box down now!"

Drakath's smirk instantly fell as he grew enraged, "THE NAME'S DRAKATH, NOT DRAKEN YOU STUPID BINT!"

Ruby smirked, muttering a small "Too easy," to herself, before continuing, "Whatever, I don't remember the names of weaklings who lose to me. Just give me the box and I won't hurt you again."

Drakath glared hatefully at her, the mocking tone easily getting to the arrogant ruffian. He threw the box aside, allowing it land back onto Robina's pile, "Tch, if you want to die that badly," He withdrew his sword and whistled, "then me and my pet are just going to have to put you in your place, **peasant**."

At his call, a massive red and black monster leapt from the cover of Surewood's thicker trees. The abomination, there was really no other word to describe it, was a massive beast with leathery, dark grey and black skin, that was only broken up by massive sections of bulging crimson flesh. Its bipedal body was rippling with muscles, but the its unnaturally long limbs seemed to still be too much for to creature to comfortable handle, if its hunched stature was anything to go by. The monster's bald head sported a pair of small, glowing red eyes and a maw filled with long, curved teeth. The monster gave off a feeling of wrongness that disgusted everyone present in the clearing, except for its keeper, Drakath.

Drakath himself grinned nastily at their reactions, "You like him, Krakhim here is my prized pet, it took so long to breed him you know." The black haired man pointed his ornate sword at Ruby, the blade gleaming in the slowly dimming light, "And he's very good at killing peasants like you."

As if on cue, Krakhim gave out a loud, shrieking roar that shook Ruby, Ash, Robina, and Vaz Striker to their cores, filling them with dread. Once its screech was complete it lunged forward with an almost impossible deftness, slamming its gnarled fists into Ruby's torso, throwing her across the clearing. It followed up by grabbing a large nearby stone and throwing it at her in an attempt to turn her into a red stain on the ground. Ruby just barely managed to roll out of the incoming stone, and was instantly set upon by Drakath. He slammed his foot into her chest, pinning her to the ground, before lifting up his longsword to impale her with a single downwards thrust.

His attack was interrupted by an arrow to the side. While it didn't penetrate through to his skin, the arrow still hung on his armor, causing Drakath to turn and glare at Robina. "And what do you think you're doing, thief? A little late to try and play hero, don't you think?"

Robina knocked another arrow, taking aim at Drakath, "Maybe, but I still have to try and make up for my earlier error, and if that means helping these two fight you, then I'll fight you."

Drakath was about to retort when an impact to the back of his knee caused him to stumble forward, his foot leaving Ruby's chest. Drakath swung around to glare at the offending party, his eyes falling on a still bound Vaz Striker, whose leg was still extended. Vaz's eyes glimmered with a dangerous mischief, "Shoulda known yeh were involved with these kids, Slugwrath, yeh and yer dogs have always been pathetic like that."

Drakath snarled at the downed bandit leader and slammed his boot into the man's chest, knocking the wind out of him. "Tch, as if trash like yourself is in any position to look down on me." Drakath sneered at the coughing bandit, "Though, you being on the ground like the worm you are IS a significant improvement."

Drakath lifted his sword to strike down the 'worm' before him, his eyes gleaming sadistically. His second attempted execution was interrupted much like the first, only this time it was a stab to the back from the forgotten redhead.

Ruby had managed to pull herself to her feet while Drakath was distracted by Robina and Vaz Striker, and struck out at the Darkwolf leader. Drakath staggered forward, tripping over Striker's downed form at the attack. Vaz followed up Ruby's surprise attack by not-so-metaphorically kicking a man while he was down, and scooting away from the young man.

Drakath let out a guttural growl as he pulled himself to his his feet, spitting some grass out of his mouth. "You knaves are really getting on my nerves," he glared at Krakhim, getting the monster's attention, "Well, what are you waiting for? Do your job and kill them you stupid beast!"

In response to his order, the abomination let a low, grinding roar and crashed forward, eyes locked onto Robina and Ash. It easily crossed the distance between itself and the two, gnarled hands curled into massive fists ready to pulverize the two.

Robina deftly rolled to the side, knocking an arrow and taking aim at the creature. She let loose her shot, but was shocked to see the arrow's wooden shaft break upon contact with its dark hide. The arrow's pieces fell to the ground as the beast spun around, slamming its fist into her midriff.

As Robina took an unplanned flight towards a tree, Ash charged the monster's unguarded back. He drove his sword into the dark flesh, but received only slightly better results than Robina. His sword only left a shallow cut as the thick hide reduced his stab into a glancing blow.

Krakhim lifted a large, meaty fist and slammed it down onto Ash, crushing him into the ground. It then grabbed his downed form and lobbed him towards Robina. Her attempts to pull herself back up were thwarted by the brunette who used her as a landing pad.

While the thief and the wannabe knight were being tossed around by an abomination, Ruby (and Vaz Striker somewhat) struggled with Drakath. He had clearly learned from their earlier encounter and, while still easily baited by taunts, wasn't flying into the stupid, self-destructive rage he had the first time around.

Ruby found herself dodging around his sword slashes, trying to find an opening in the man's offense. Meanwhile, Vaz Striker had finally gotten himself to his feet, and while his arms were still bound, the man proved more than willing to dish out no small amount of below-the-belt kicks, aggravating Drakath and granting Ruby openings she could more effectively capitalize on.

As she dived away from another overhead strike, Ruby called over to the bound bandit, "So, why are you helping us with this? I'd have thought you'd take the opportunity to escape."

Striker ducked under Drakath's backswing before throwing his boot into Drakath's backseat, causing a wave of curses to be uttered by the black haired bandit. "Yeh kidding kid? As if I'm gonna lose an opportunity to take this upstart down a peg. He's been a problem for my boys ever since he started up his little band, and this is a perfect chance to end them."

Ruby threw her third Iron Dagger at Drakath, leaving herself with just one spare and any she could recover. The blade sunk into his shoulder armor, failing to penetrate his skin but tearing a hole into his protection. She met Striker's eyes and nodded, "Alright. Thanks for the help then."

With their short exchange complete, Ruby and Vaz Striker redoubled their efforts against Drakath. Ruby slid under a sideways slash, daggers poised to lash out at Drakath's stomach. With surprising speed, he slammed his knee into her face, throwing her backwards and temporarily making her see stars. He then spun around and blocked an attempted kick from Striker, before stabbing at the other bandit.

His sword grazed Striker's side as the bandit desperately tried throw himself aside. Vaz staggered as he tried to move away from the advancing figure. Drakath was about to bring his sword down on the bandit when Ruby stabbed a dagger through the whole in his armor, piercing Drakath's shoulder and causing him to almost drop his sword.

Drakath grunted in pain, releasing a hand on his sword to grip the wound in his shoulder. He grit his teeth as spun around, a wide, wild slash trailing behind him as he did so. Ruby tried to avoid the sudden slash, but her backwards dive wasn't fast enough to avoid taking a slash to her hands.

Ruby recoiled in pain, daggers falling from her grip as she tried to cover her wounded hands. Drakath gave a pained smirk and said, "Hmph, looks like you're out of luck, kid." He leveled his sword at her, his arm somewhat unsteady due to only using a single hand to hold it, "It's a shame, I was starting to enjoy myself."

Meanwhile, the battle against Krakhim had raged. Robina and Ash were both beat up, bleeding from heavy impacts and lacerations caused by Krakhim's heavy blows. The abomination in question wasn't fairing too well either, it's body was covered in shallow cuts, but the sheer amount of injuries the two had managed to inflict allowed the shallow cuts to be major threats to its health. Arrows were lodged into several of the cuts marring its body, Robina having decided to aim for any gap in its defense that Ash had managed to open.

The beast roared again, releasing a sound that sounded both enraged and pained. It launched itself forward, swing its fists down to pulp everything in its path. Robina and Ash dived to the side, allowing Krakhim to crash through the trees, toppling many of Surewood's growths. It shrieked in pain as the splintered wood stuck into its limbs, drawing more blood from the creature.

Ash gave out a battle cry as he charged forward, stabbing his sword into a cut he dealt earlier. His blade sunk several inches into the beast's back, eliciting a shriek of pain. He spun around, bleeding hands searching for the brunette's body. Before it could reach him, Robina loosed one of her last arrows. The small projectile flew through the air, and lodged into one of Krakhim's eyes.

Krakhim halted its attack, grabbing at its blinded face, and letting out long, spine rattling shrieks. Seeing a prime opportunity, Ash gathered as much strength into his limbs and stabbed upwards. His sword pierced Krakhim's throat, opening up its carotid artery. The abomination let out a few final, gurgling cries, before collapsing to the forest floor.

Ash and Robina stood unsteadily, just about ready to follow suit due to their own injuries. Despite their exhaustion, the two pushed themselves to move towards the continuing battle against Drakath. Drakath was once again angrily trying to hack Vaz Striker apart, as the man had, once again, quite literally, kicked his ass. Ruby was crouched a short distance away, applying field bandages to her hands.

With her spur of the moment first aid applied, Ruby patted herself down for any remaining weapons. The only ones she still had on her was a single Iron Dagger, for throwing, and the Firebrand she had gotten from Striker. Ruby lobbed the dagger at Drakath, stabbing into his lower back, causing him to visibly stall and wince.

Ruby then took the Firebrand into her bandaged hands and charged at Drakath. Flaming sword met regal blade as the two clashed. Despite the heat coming off her blade, Drakath's higher quality sword showed absolutely no sign of being damaged by the heat.

Drakath soon overpowered Ruby, throwing her off balance. He then slashed diagonally upwards, cutting into her side. Ruby staggered to the side, left hand clenched over her bleeding side. Drakath the charged at Ruby, sword poised to strike her down. He was intercepted by an arrow slamming into his side, staggering him.

Drakath turned his sharp, hateful glare onto Robina, who was tiredly leaning up against a tree, empty quiver on her back and bow in her hand. He turned to advance on her when Ruby recovered enough from the attack to strike out at Drakath.

As she swung the Firebrand, she felt an odd, draining sensation. Her body felt heavier, and a heat growing in her hands. The Firebrand unleashed a gout of fire, using her energy as its fuel. The flames impacted Drakath's back, forcing him to shout in pain and drop to the ground in an attempt to put out the flames.

While on the ground, Striker slammed his foot into the Darkwolf leader, winding him and rolling him over a few feet. While Drakath tried to put himself out, Ruby fell to the ground, feeling drained and weak.

Eventually, a bloodied Drakath, his armor burned and skin torn, sat on the ground, incapable of pulling himself to his feet. He glared tiredly at Ruby, who was being unsteadily supported by Ash, hatred clear in his eyes. "You worms only beat me because you had superior numbers," he ground out, his teeth grit in poorly concealed rage, "But don't think is over. I refuse to take this lying down."

He met Ruby's silver eyes, "Hear me, Ruby Rose, my liege has already taken notice of you. Enjoy what little time you have left." Drakath chuckled darkly, a hungry grin on his face as he thought about what his 'liege' would do to the redhead. Suddenly he flew to his feet, throwing another smoke bomb onto the ground an beating a hasty retreat.

Neither Ruby nor anyone else was in any condition to follow him, so they let him escape. With the battle won, Ruby staggered tiredly over the discarded Black Dragon Box, a tired smile on her face. "I'm so glad that that's done," she said, tired relief filling her voice, "Now I can finally deliver this thing and get this whole mess over with."

Ash stumbled up to her, a toothy grin on his face, "Hey Ruby, you should open it. We should see what we fought so hard to protect after all!"

Ruby nodded her head, an excited grin worming its way onto her face. She placed her hand on the lid as Ash, Robina, and even the still bound Vaz Striker gathered around. "Alright," Ruby's voice quivered with excitement, "you guys ready for this?" At everyone's nod Ruby inhaled, slowly exhaled and opened the box.

The Black Dragon Box was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. Dark velvet laced the insides, going quite well with the black and gold exterior. It gave off a feeling of splendor and importance. A feeling that was only slightly marred by one little fact.

Just one

Little

 **Fact**

Four sets of eyes slowly moved from the box's insides to the small green goblin who had been left hanging throughout the entire fight. The same sneevil who had been demanding its box back the time.

Ruby felt an uncontrollable twitch in her eyebrow. "Where is the egg?" Her voice was quiet, and held a disturbingly dangerous undercurrent.

The sneevil payed no heed to her tone and simply flailed while shouting, "Gone! I dumped dat trash in da dumpsite! Now gib me my box!"

Ruby's world seemed to collapse in on her at that moment. Everything she had been working on, gone. All because a kleptomaniacal sneevil decided to steal an important box and dump its contents.

The whole of Surewood seemed to quake as Ruby Rose, for the very first time in her life, truly snapped.

" **YOU LITTLE GREEN BASTARD!** "


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**AN: Hey again folks, and happy belated Labor Day. I would have wished everyone a happy Labor Day last chapter, but I forgot that Labor Day was a thing until I mysteriously didn't have classes that day. Oops.**

 **Thanks to guisniperman, my most reliable reviewer, for the review last chapter.**

 **Guisniperman: Of course that sneevil is dead meat, can you imagine doing all that work just to discover some green midget tossed the item you were trying to get? As for nicer items at the dumpsite, well she could always use some shiny new toys, doubly so when you consider that we're inching closer to the Slayer of Noobs, the infernal hell beast, and all round adorable bringer of darkness and death. Ruby could use all the good weapons she can.**

 **[Attention] Next month is October, the beginning of a trio of holidays that usually take up at least half of the updates for those months, and I've been wondering something. Would you guys prefer if I** _ **(A)**_ **Just ignore holiday content and focus on the main story,** _ **(B)**_ **Do any holiday event that has ties to the main story, like meeting Tomix for the first time, but none of the others,** _ **(C)**_ **Do a selection of holiday quests each month, but only ones that either, or you the readers are interested in, or** _ **(D)**_ **Use those months to finish as much of the Orb Saga holiday quests as I can reasonably claim to happen during that part of the story, or just a bit later in continuity, and just convert Holidays into full blown festivals to explain why so much can happen during one?**

 **Please let me know in reviews, and I'll be putting up a poll in my profile (if I can figure out how). Voting will be open until the start of October, at which point I'll follow through with the winning side. (NOTE) Poll's up in my profile, can't figure out how to put the thing in my forum though.**

 **Please note that this only applies to Mogloween, Thankstaking, and Frostval. Other holidays interest me much less, though I probably will tackle them if you folks want me to.**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Two weary youths trudged through the early morning shadows of Surewood Forest, wrapped in bandages that covered still healing injuries from the day before. Ruby, Ash, and Robina had escorted Vaz Striker to Falconreach the day before restocking and asking around town for advice on finding the missing dragon egg.

The Guardians, who had decided to hold Striker until he could be transferred to an actual prison, had pointed them to the South-Eastern edge of Surewood, where a burgeoning treasure hunter had apparently set up shop. They said that her name was Valencia, and that she was already making waves with her uncanny ability to sniff out old ruins, a useful skill for anyone looking to score some treasure.

So with their goal in mind, Ruby and Ash set out to find the treasure hunter, and hopefully she could point them in the direction of the sneevil dumpsite. So now they walked, tired but determined through Surewood, bags of supplies on their backs and weapons ready to be unsheathed at any sign of danger.

Fortunately, the forest was rather peaceful, nocturnal predators having already gone to sleep for the day, and their diurnal counterparts being notably smaller and less aggressive in small groups.

As they walked, the two made inane conversation. Their topics remained light an unimportant as they did so, until Ash asked "So Ruby, have you found out anything about how you can get back yet? I know that you were about to really start looking into that when we last saw each other."

Ruby tiredly rubbed the back of her neck, "It was a failure, honestly." She grimaced at the thought, "Not only did I learn next to nothing, but the only lead I did get was Priestess Celestia giving me the name of the 'Blue Mage' the Guardians told me about."

Ash smiled at her and said, "Come on, Ruby, it's not that bad. If two completely different people think he can help you get back, then he must be able to help."

Smiling slightly, Ruby replied, "Fair enough, it's just kinda disappointing."

The two continued walking in companionable silence, before a light up ahead caught their attention. "Do you think that's a clearing, or the end of the Forest," Ash asked, his left hand leveled across his brow in an attempt to better focus on the distant light.

"Only one way to find out," Ruby responded, while picking up her pace. The two jogged all the way until they finally breached the tree line and entered the sunlit area. They were greeted by the sight of rolling, green hills, illuminated by the sun. A worn dirt road stretched across the hills, traveling parallel to Surewood Forest's treeline as it stretched further North-East, and occasionally branching the East and South..

Down the worn dirt road, the two could make out a small caravan making its way towards them. Looking around, the two began to walk down the road, making their way towards the caravan. About ten minutes of walking later and they finally encountered the caravan. The man at the front gave them a friendly wave as they jogged over, "Hey, what are you kids doing out here?"

Ruby pouted at being called a 'kid,' but otherwise remained polite, "We heard that there was a treasure hunter up this way, so we're trying to find her."

"A treasure hunter, you say," he muttered, "I believe I've heard of one in this area. You mean Valencia, right?" At their nod he continued, "Yeah, I think she's just East of here." The caravaneer pointed to a branch in the road just a little ways North of them, "Just take that path and you should come across her camp."

Ruby and Ash thanked the caravaneer before continuing on their way, and taking the indicated path. They continued Eastward, watching for any sign of the treasure hunter, Valencia. Eventually they came across something that really captured their attention.

Ruby's eyes bugged out of her head and mouth gaped open as she stared at a massive golden statue of a robed young man. "Th-that's gotta be the most gold I've ever seen…" she muttered, completely stunned by the sheer size of the colossal statue. Ash just nodded numbly beside her, too surprised by the sight to really say anything.

They were brought out of their shock by a friendly shout from the statue's feet. Looking over, they saw a young woman striding over to them. She was dressed somewhat gaudily, her arms sporting gold bracelets, large golden hoops dangling from her ears, and other pieces of golden jewelry. Comparatively, her clothes were a bit more reasonable, being a tight beige shirt that bared her midriff, and a pair of long maroon pants with a lighter red sash hanging loosely on her waist. A pair of tall, dark grey boots reached up to her ankles. Her violet colored hair dipped below her waist, and wasn't held in place by any ties. Her green eyes sparkled with friendliness, but her expression had a noticeable undercurrent of greed as she eyed the strangers.

As she approached she gave them a friendly, "Greetings strangers, what brings the two of you out to my lovely little camp?"

Ruby waved as she approached and asked, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be the treaure hunter, Valencia, would you?"

The woman beamed happily, "Yep, that's me! Treasure hunter and collector of rare artifacts extraordinaire!" The now named Valencia radiated pride as she said that. "So, I take you two needed my services then?"

Ruby and Ash nodded, "Yeah, we need help finding an item that was stolen from us."

Valencia cut them off with a shake of her head, "Sorry kids, can't help you with that. Thief hunting is outside of my expertise."

Ash pouted, "We don't need to catch a thief though."

Ruby nodded in agreement, "Yeah, we just need to know where it was dumped before we caught up with him."

Valencia tilted her head in confusion, "'Dumped' you say? Why are you trying to get something back if it wasn't important enough for some thief to keep?"

Ruby's only response was a flat, "The thief was a sneevil."

Valencia nodded, an understanding look coming to her face, "Ah, now that makes more sense. So, you two need help finding the sneevil dumpsite?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, it's pretty important that we get it back. Think you can help us?"

Valencia nodded, a smile on her face "Of course I can! I was gonna stop by that place at some point anyway to see if the little guys left me anything good recently, so this is a good opportunity to stop by."

Valencia returned to her camp and retrieved an ornate, curved blade. It's hilt had a jewel encrusted in its center, and the steel blade was well polished. Ruby's eyes sparkled at the sight of the curved sword. "Is that a scimitar?"

Valencia nodded proudly, "Yep, this is my pride and joy, a gift from my father." She looked fondly at the well kept sword in her hand, "As you can imagine, it's gotten me through quite a bit in my line of work."

Ruby nodded, barely restraining herself from grabbing the sword from the treasure hunter to examine it from up close. "It's obviously well maintained," she let out, eyeing the scimitar hungrily.

Valencia noticed Ruby's gleaming eyes and said, "My, a little young to be taking that amount of interest in me, aren't you?" Valencia's teasing tone took Ruby out of her concentration on the blade and caused her to stagger backwards, "W-what!? I-I wasn't looking at you, just your weapon!" Ruby continued to stutter with embarrassment, trying to explain that she wasn't checking out the treasure hunter, much to Valencia's amusement. She eventually ended her small breakdown with a simple, "And I'm not young, I'm fifteen."

Valencia eyed the girl oddly,got up close to her, and placed her hand on Ruby's head. She then moved that head in straight line to about a quarter of the way up her rib cage. Finally, after moments of silence, Valencia smirked and said, "You're a little short, aren't you?"

And thus, Valencia was treated to a spiel about 'growing' 'ageing' and 'drinking milk' as the three made their way to their destination.

* * *

Ruby was extremely relieved when they finally arrived at the sneevil dumpsite. She could still feel her face burning from all the teasing Valencia had given her on their way over. The woman seemed to take no small amount of pleasure in poking and prodding any topic she could to get a flustered reaction out of her. It was made worse by Ash, who part of the way through the trip began to actively join in, much to Ruby's dismay.

But now she was here, and that dragon egg would finally be in her grasp. Ruby screwed her face in determination, and eyed the mountains of junk that made up the sneevil dumpsite. The place was evidently used by generations of the creatures, as countless amounts of items were piled up on each other in the sprawling mass. She could already make out the forms of worn and rusted metal trinkets, rotting wood, and other such items.

Valencia stretched out her back as she eyed the dump, "Ah~ the sneevil dumpsite. They usually dump some pretty neat things in here, so keep an eye out for anything valuable while we try an find your stuff."

As the three entered the dump, stepping on old, worn down items that may have once held value, Valencia turned to Ruby and asked, "By the way, what are we looking for?" She blushed somewhat embarrassedly, "I completely forgot to ask you earlier."

Ruby overturned a large, rusted breastplate, "Oh, right, forgot to tell you." She turned to valencia, "It's a dragon egg, Lady Celestia asked me to get it back for her."

As Ruby went back to picking through trash, and Ash walked up to brown, discarded bag, Valencia froze. "A dragon egg," she asked faintly.

"Yeah, a dragon egg. It was in The Black Dragon Box, but a sneevil stole it."

"Huh, didn't take you for that kind of person," Valencia muttered to herself as she eyed Ruby somewhat wearily. She then shook her head and clapped her hands together, "Oh well! It's surprising to think I'd meet someone like you then!"

Ruby looked at her in confusion, "Someone like me?"

"Yep~ Someone like you." Valencia grinned in excitement "To think someone involved with not only a dragon priestess, but also the legendary Dragon Boxes would wind up coming to me for help, it's truly surprising." Valencia gave her a teasing smile, "Just be sure to remember my help when you're bringing about the apocalypse, yah hear?"

Ruby reeled back as if struck, "Huh!? Why do you think I'm gonna destroy the world!?"

"Well you are, aren't you? That's what my father said about the Dragon Boxes when he went off looking for them anyway. The White Dragon Box would contain the world's savior, and the Black one would have it's destroyer."

Ruby gave her a flat, yet weary look, "I'm fairly certain I'm not gonna destroy the world. Besides, I'm just supposed to get it for Lady Celestia, it's not mine."

Valencia chuckled and said, "I'll admit, you definitely seem too nice to be the omnicidal maniac type, but then again, anything can happen if you don't want it too."

Ruby was about to respond when a loud, girly scream rang out from further into the dump. Ruby and Valencia rushed forward to find Ash being strangled by a large, floating brown sack with glowing green eyes. The creature was made of rough burlap, and was easily tying itself around the young brunette's neck.

Rushing forward, Ruby withdrew her daggers and tore through the burlap that was wrapped around Ash's neck, allowing him to collapse to the ground, gasping heavily. Meanwhile, Valencia swung her scimitar into the golem's body, cutting the weak construct in half. The sack immediately collapsed onto the ground, the glow fading from the tears in its body.

Valencia looked apologetically at Ash, "Sorry, I forgot to mention that the sneevils have dumped a lot of magical items here, and their magic has seeped into the area around here. Quite a few things have become golems because of that."

With her warning given, and Ash having regained his breath, the three continued deeper into the dump. They were accosted by a myriad of golems along the way. More of the burlap sack things, giant chunks of metal that sparked with electricity, floating dolls with eerie red eyes, even the plants had become mobile and decided to assault the three.

As they advanced, Ruby took note of the various threats each opponent posed. The burlap sacks were weak, and only managed to be surprising on occasion. The metal golems, on the other hand, were major threats. Not only did Ruby's daggers not do anything to dent or scratch their bodies, but their electrified attacks left her body feeling numb and tingly. The floating dolls were horrifying, their glowing red, soulless eyes reminded her of dark monsters whom she had mostly forgotten, and their ability to draw in the shadows and solidify them into claws was dangerously unexpected. The plants posed their own problems, being only slightly more resilient than the burlap sacks, they made up for it by being covered in poisonous thorns that left any injuries they dealt an ugly puce color.

Along the way, Ruby, Ash, and Valencia had rooted through the piles of trash, hoping to find any sign of the egg, or an item worth taking with them. They'd already found several damp, faded books, ruined pieces of armor, rusted weapons, and other such useless items.

Ruby was on the verge of giving up when she spotted something remotely oval shaped at the top of a rather large mound of trash. Her eyes widened as she focused on it, "Is that…?"

Valencia looked up at where she was staring, and brightened considerably, "I think it might be! Though it might just be a vultragon egg."

Ash turned to her and asked, "What's a vultragon?"

Valencia scrunched up her face in disgust, "Large, ugly scavenger bird. They tend to live in small flocks, and the leader of said flocks will often steal the eggs of its fellows to consume."

Ruby looked confused, "It eats other vultragon eggs? Why?"

"It's to make sure it's the only one reproducing. As a result, their populations tend to remain small. Damn things are never any less vicious though."

Ash looked towards the egg, which was situated several meters above them, "Well, I don't see a nest, so I don't think it's a bird egg."

Valencia nodded, "Yeah, Vultragons are nesting birds, so if the egg isn't in a nest, it should be our target."

Nodding, Ruby began scaling the rubbish pile, steadily getting closer to the top. After a minute or two of climbing, Ruby's head breached the top of the cliff. She looked over the top of the pile, and found herself face-to-beak with a massive, four eyed bird. The monstrosity was easily as large as the caravaneer's cart, and it was obviously highly displeased to see her.

The bird narrowed its eyes at her before rearing up and letting out an ear shattering " **RAWK!** " and brought its beak down on her head. Ruby cried out in pain at the heavy peck she received, and quickly brought one of her hands up to grasp her head. While she was distracted, the bird flapped its wings, gaining some lift, and lashed out a clawed foot. The claw wrapped around the egg and the bird took off into the air.

Ruby could only stare in equal parts shock and anger as the massive avian flew towards the peak of a massive mound of trash, squawking victoriously the whole way. Ruby slowly slid down the mound of trash, to where Ash and Valencia were watching her with concern. She slowly turned to Ash, her eyes gleaming menacingly, "Hey Ash, how do you feel like eating some poultry later?"

Ash nervously said, "Sounds good, should I get anything."

Ruby nodded, the dark look still in her eyes, "Yeah, sticks, wood, fire stuff." She then turned to Valencia "You can have some too."

Valencia nodded, "Alright! I've got some high quality spices back at my camp, we can have a great meal!"

Ruby nodded seriously, clenching a fist dramatically. Before taking a deep breath and roaring " **YOU HEAR THAT BIRD!? YOU'RE GONNA TASTE DELICIOUS WHEN I'M DONE YOU!** "

* * *

Ruby practically flew as she sprinted through the dumpsite, making her way through the towering mountain of trash the Vultragon flew towards with the egg. Ash and Valencia were trailing behind, trying desperately to keep up with her. Ruby didn't even notice that she was steadily leaving them behind, her mind too enraged to pay attention to them.

She was frustrated, tired, and angry. These past few days have been nothing but obstacles, first Drakath shows up and tries to steal the box, then a sneevil _does_ steal her box, then Drakath attacks _again_ , then the egg turns out to have been dumped earlier and then, right when it was in her grasp, this big, stupid, ugly dinner-for-ten has the gall to steal. Her. EGG!

Ruby was practically at her breaking point. It shouldn't take this much work just to get some egg, dragon egg or not, it's ridiculous. Ruby absentmindedly tore through a Burrlap golem as she ran past, reducing it to an empty bag. She then kicked a Possessed Doll out of the way as it drew close to her.

Things continued on until she reached the base of the mountain. She glared up at the peak, where that obnoxious bird certainly had _her_ egg. Several sets of eyes locked onto her as she approached. Smaller vultragons, only about the size or Ruby herself descended from their perches, prepared to fend off the intruder in their territory.

Ruby met the birds' glares with one of her own. Without missing a beat, she withdrew an Iron Dagger from the holsters on her calves and lobbed it at one of the birds. It squawked loudly as the dagger pierced its chest, and it fell from its perch.

Seeing the death of their fellow, the others all squawked and divebombed Ruby. Their talons tore into her un armored skin, and her leather armor hardly held up against the birds. Crying out in pain and anger, Ruby grabbed a smoke pellet from her pouch. She then brought her red cloak up around her face and threw the pellet downwards before diving to the side.

Ruby's cloak protected her eyes from the acrid smoke, but the vultragons who had been tearing into her weren't as lucky. The avians were all either flying aimlessly, trying to avoid the obstacles they could no longer see, or had landed and were trying to recover sight in their eyes.

Smirking, Ruby withdrew Firebrand, feeling the warmth of the blade flow through her arm. She charged at the downed Vultragons, hacking and slashing at the unaware avians. Pained squawks filled the air as she swept through them like a reaper of poultry. A familiar draining feeling filled her body as the Firebrand became hotter and flames began dancing along its surface. Ruby directed the growing blaze towards one of the flying Vultragons, who had been flying towards the loud noises of its comrades pain. The flames flew from the sword, instantly roasting the oversized turkey. It's charred body fell to the ground, blackened and still.

Ruby looked around, seeing no other remaining vultragons in the general area, the remaining ones having flown off blindly, she dashed to the small, unsteady path upwards.

Ruby was already ascending the mountain by the time Ash and Valencia reached the base of the mountain. Ash was panting for breath while Valencia was somewhat winded. "Sheesh, she can be quite quick when she wants to be, can't she?"

Ash nodded, still not having recovered enough to speak, but he did look around at the carnage she had wrought on the vultragon flock. Valencia noticed what he looking at and winced, "Guess she can be quite brutal when she wants to be as well." She then muttered to herself, "Maybe she really is a perfect match for that box."

Ash finished gulping down precious air, and straightened up, "Should we go after her?"

Valencia was about to answer when several loud squawks rang out from behind her. She turned to see that the Vultragons who had flown off were returning, their eyes gleaming maliciously as they locked onto the two humans. "I don't think we'll be able to until these boys are taken care of first."

The treasure hunter and the wannabe knight both readied their weapons for the ensuing flurry of feathers and talons.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby had crested the peak of the mountain of trash and was currently glaring daggers at the massive vultragon who had stolen _her_ egg. The vultragon, on its part, was returning the favor, glaring hatefully at the redhead who had pursued it into its domain.

Ruby eyed the nest it was guarding with distaste, counting up the half a dozen eggs that sat within it, each one identical to the one that had been stolen. "So," she spat, staring at the monster's bounty, "You've stolen more eggs than just mine." She withdrew her Steel Daggers, holding them in reverse grips, "That's fine, I'll just take 'em all and figure out which is mine later."

The vultragon let out several loud, angry squawks as it leapt from its perch above the nest and landed in front of her. It's four, red eyes bored into her own menacingly.

Ruby narrowed her eyes in response, her own angry glare matching the colossal avian's. "Don't give me that crap, you stole _**my**_ egg! Now lay down, die, _**AND GIVE ME MY EGG!**_ "

Ruby's roar caused the vultragon to flinch back in surprise, wasting no time, Ruby flew forward, eyes and daggers gleaming as she honed in on the egg snatcher. The large vultragon let out a pained squawk as her daggers bit into the bird's flesh. In response, the bird spread its wings, knocking Ruby backwards. With an opening apparent, the vultragon swooped forward, closing its wings over Ruby and holding her in place. As Ruby tried to struggle her way out, it began slamming its beak into her head, hoping to peck her head open.

Ruby's head was pounding, but she still managed to lash out with her daggers, tearing at the bird's wings. It released her and staggered backwards, allowing Ruby to lunge forward with a feral ferocity, slashing at the vultragon's chest.

The vultragon escaped Ruby's vicious attacks by leaping into the air and bringing its massive talons down on Ruby. Ruby cried out as the massive claws raked her body and crushed her into the ground.

Ruby felt blood trickle down her head and body from the wounds the massive bird had dealt to her. Despite that, a burning anger still filled her chest, forcing her to ignore her pain. All she could think of was crushing the menace in front of her, and reclaiming _her_ egg.

After all, it was _hers._

Ruby let out a beastial roar, pushing herself up. The vultragon squawked in shock as the small human it was crushing began to push its foot off of itself. The vultragon's attempts to crush the redhead were quickly thwarted by a vicious stab to the ankle. Steel tore through rough skin, meat, and bone, severing the vultragon's foot.

With the foot no longer holding her down, Ruby rose to her feet, tearing into the vultragon like a predatory beast. The whole time she did so, the only one thing was running through her head.

 _That egg is mine._

 _Mine!_

 _ **MINE!**_

* * *

Ash and Valencia finally trudged to the top of the mountain, hoping to help Ruby out with the massive beast. However, those thoughts left their heads when they finally laid eyes on the scene before them. Ruby was standing there, six eggs wrapped in a torn, red cloak, seemingly unconcerned with the large gashes in her back. The vultragon lied on the ground beside her, its body torn asunder.

Despite that, Ruby seemed oddly at peace, smiling happily at the collection eggs in her arms. She slowly looked at her companions and said, "Sorry guys, but I don't think we can actually eat it anymore."

With that said, Ruby collapsed forward, using all her remaining strength to keep any of the eggs in her grasp from falling to the ground. She could only faintly make out her fellows shouting her name as the world faded to black.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**AN: Hello again folks, and welcome back to Ruby's Lore. Thanks for stopping by as well as for the reviews last chapter.**

 **Guisniperman: Yep, I wanted them to eat the Ultra Vultragon, but then an idea entered my head and Ruby just decimated it instead. While Valencia won't have a Bag of Holding, Cysero, who will help Ruby find Warlic, can hook Ruby up with one, naturally at a price. As for Nythera, she'll still be an abrasive, unlikeable jerk, but she'll get better. Probably. Maybe. I actually have an idea on making the Storm War quest chain a bit better thanks to her being privy to information that Ruby would be rather willing to work for, so that'll be fun.**

 **Hige the Bearded: Thanks for the compliment. I'm guessing the fic you're referring to is LoreZero, right? I've read it, and it certainly seems interesting.**

 **With reviews done, let's get on to the fic.**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

The first thing Ruby noticed when she woke up was the pain. Streaks of pain were burning on her back, only slightly alleviated by the now familiar tightness of bandages wrapped around her torso. She groaned in pain as she tried to remember what happened that led to her current situation.

Through the tired haze of sleep, exhaustion, and pain, Ruby could remember the vultragon stealing the egg from right under her nose. She could remember rushing across the dumpsite to track down the avian. She remembered fighting through the smaller, subservient birds that lived near it. But then, nothing. Nothing but rage, pain, and relief.

She groaned into the pillow, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with her back currently facing upwards in order to avoid jostling her wounds. She slowly used her arms to push herself up into a seated position, and looked around the room.

She was surprised to see that she had somehow returned to Falconreach Inn, and had been situated in her room. Her tattered leather armor was lying in a pile next to her cabinet, noticeable blood stains lining several large gashes carved into its back. Her cloak was in a similar situation, it had obviously been washed, but the dark areas near the large cuts in its form indicated that no small amount of blood had been absorbed by the fabric. The weapons she owned were set in a pile by the cloak and, much to Ruby's relief, had been cleaned as well, and as such weren't about to start rusting due to having blood left coating it.

As Ruby looked around her room, the door opened slowly as a familiar blunette carefully entered the room. She started slightly as her dark green eyes met Ruby's silver orbs, before a smile formed on her face. "Ah, Ruby, I wasn't expecting you to be up already." Reens hoisted her satchel of medical supplies and set it on a chair next to Ruby's bed, "You got pretty messed up, so I was expecting you to be out for at least another day."

She began rooting around her bag pulling out a fresh roll of bandages, disinfectant, and ointment. "You're going to want to lie back down, because I need to work on your back some more."

Ruby groaned as she lied back down on her front, feeling the uncomfortable pressure of the bed return to her chest. "Hey Reens," she asked, as the town doctor began to remove the bandages around her chest, "How long have I been out? And how did I get back?"

Reens finished unraveling the bloodied bandages, and through them aside. She then began poking at Ruby's wounds, looking for any signs of infection, damage, or other signs of improper healing, "You were brought back late two days ago. A young woman named Valencia carried you in while Ash carried some eggs that he said were important for some reason. After that, you slept for all of yesterday."

Ruby had to bite her cheek to prevent herself from crying out when Reens began applying the healing ointment to her back, the combination of the cold ointment and the pressure of Reens's hands causing her wounds to flare up painfully. She grit her teeth as Reens continued her work, trying to ignore the pain and discomfort. She sighed in relief when the doctor finished, and the pressure on her injured back was let up."

"Alright," Reens said, as she wiped her hands on a small town and picked up a roll of bandages, "Now sit up so I can rebandage you, Ruby."

Ruby's face reddened as she shifted uncomfortably, "Can't I just put them off myself?"

Reens rolled her eyes at Ruby's embarrassed grumble, "Come on Ruby, how many times have I had to bandage your injuries or treat you when you got sick? Trust me, I've already seen it all, nothing you're hiding right now I didn't see when patching you up earlier."

Ruby grumbled under her breath, still blushing in embarrassment. "It's still embarrassing." Despite her displeasure, Ruby still sat up, arms crossed over her chest.

"Come on Ruby, the bandages need to be wrapped around there too."

Ruby slowly lowered her arms, allowing Reens to wrap her torso in bandages. She winced as the dressings tightened around around her wounds, the material slightly rubbing up against the sensitive injuries.

When Reens finished wrapping Ruby's torso, she cut the used bandage off and pocketed what was left of the roll. As she began packing up her materials, Reens turned to Ruby and said, "Now remember, you need to rest. Straining yourself will only make your injuries worse."

Ruby nodded as slowly slid out of her bed made for her cabinet and pulled out a casual red shirt. "I know Reens," she said as she carefully pulled the shirt over her sore torso, "As you said, we've been through this before."

Reens chuckled, "Indeed," she then pulled a concerned look, "Though I'd honestly prefer it if we didn't. You get hurt far too much Ruby, and it worries me quite a bit."

Ruby blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, "Sorry Reens, I try not to get too beat up, but, you know…" Ruby trailed off at the end, a mixture of embarrassment and shame leaking into her voice.

Reens sighed and shook her head, "I know, Ruby. But you really do need to learn your boundaries. Had those two not been with you, you very well may have not made it back alive, let alone in one piece." With her piece said, Reens patted Ruby on the head, chuckling as the girl began to grumble in embarrassment at being treated like a kid, "I'll help you get down stairs, Serenity was making breakfast when I got here."

Ruby nodded, an exaggerated scowl still on her face from Reens's treating her like a little kid, and the two made their way down the stairs to the Inn's dining area.

* * *

Tired, silver eyes twitched as Ruby looked at the plate in front of her, as well as the two nervous people sitting on the other side of the table. She glanced between the extremely large fried egg that was sat in front of her, and the five large eggs that were wrapped in cloth and sat beside her.

Five.

Ruby was really hoping that it was just a bit of paranoia, but something was telling her that there was supposed to be one more. She glanced back at the large, almost table sized fried egg, and then glanced up at Ash and Valencia. Valencia was refusing to meet her eyes, and Ash was fidgeting in his seat.

Ruby suspiciously looked at the fried egg, then at her friends. "This had better not be what I think it is."

Ash nervously chuckled, "What? You mean the egg? Heheheh… Er that's, just an egg! What else could it be?"

Ruby looked at him, suspicion increasing in tandem with his nervous shaking, "Y-yeah," Valencia said, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face, "That's just your average, everyday, big egg. That's all."

Ruby slowly glanced between them, and turned her full attention to Ash as he nervously said, "Yeah, we totally didn't, like, accidentally break one and have it cooked up so you wouldn't notice or anything!"

Ruby's eyes narrowed. Valencia face palmed. Ash almost peed himself. The three sat in silence for a minute while Ruby stared at him, before she finally sighed tiredly and said, "I am way too tired for this." Ruby tiredly took a bite of the fried egg, and hummed in approval, "At least it tastes like a normal egg, hopefully that's a good sign."

Deciding to vacate the premises before Ruby could upset with them for not-so-subtly breaking one of the eggs and cooking it, Valencia said, "Well, I need head back to my camp. If you need anything in the future, just stop by." With that, the purple haired treasure hunter sped out the door, trying her best to look as unsuspicious as possible.

Deciding that she had the right idea, Ash stood up and said, "I should probably get supplies and stuff. I'll meet up with you later." With a quick wave, Ash all but ran after Valencia, not looking back at where Ruby was sitting.

Ruby watched as they scampered off, a feeling of irritation filling her as she looked back at the large, suspicious, and admittedly delicious fried egg. "I really hope dragon eggs don't taste like bird eggs," she said as she took another bite.

As she ate, Serenity walked over the kitchen as the breakfast rush died down. She sat down on the other side of the table and said, "Glad to see you're up, Ruby. You had us really worried when you were carried in the other day."

Ruby looked down, fidgeting slightly, "Sorry Serenity, I didn't mean to worry you."

Serenity smiled gently and replied, "I know, but that won't stop me from doing so. I do care about you after all."

Ruby simply blushed in embarrassment and kept eating. The two fell into friendly conversation, talking about simple things. Serenity seemed to avoid any topic regarding the five eggs Ruby had with her, and refused to touch any of the fried egg when Ruby offered her some. Ruby felt her mood lighten as she and the blonde talked, her irritation at her friends who had most likely broken one of the eggs melting away.

Once Ruby had eaten her full, and surprised herself by finishing the entire egg, she gathered up the large eggs and carefully moved them to her room. With the delicate items stored, she made her way to Falconreach proper. She had five eggs, and no idea on how to figure out which one is the dragon egg, and she hoped that someone in town would be able to help.

* * *

Ruby's goal of finding help was quickly cut short and she just found herself staring at a large, stone building located between Yuglar's smithy and Grams's pet shop, as well at the manically grinning man who stood in front of it. "Was that, always there," she muttered to herself in confusion, not remembering it existing, but refusing to believe that it came from nowhere.

While she was transfixed by the mysterious structure, the grinning man approached her. Noticing his approach, Ruby was struck by an odd sense of familiarity as she took in his appearance. He had messy, dark brown hair that obscured his eyes. His mouth was set in a seemingly permanent, unhinged grin. He was wearing loose, thigh length green robes, white arm wraps, and tall black work boots. A dark piece of fabric engraved with a light grey 'C' was wrapped around his waist, and similarly designed shoulder plates sat on his shoulders.

The man opened his mouth to say something when where she had seen the man before clicked in Ruby's mind. She slammed a fist into her palm and said, "Hey, you look just like that giant statue Valencia has!"

The man's impossibly large grin widened, unsettling Ruby a bit. "Oh! So you've already seen my work?" The man's question was caked in pride and confidence, "Glad to hear it! It's always better to have customers who already know I make quality products!"

"Umm, what exactly do you make?" Ruby tilted her head slightly while asking her question, watching as the man's smile widened yet again.

She jumped slightly as he instantly invaded her personal space and slapped his hand down on her shoulder, clamping down with surprising force. "I'm glad you asked," he shouted, face splitting grin not lessening in the slightest, "I am Cysero, the Green Mage! I am a master magical weaponsmith!" He then through his free arm forward in a sweeping gesture, "And THIS, is my shop, 'Cysero's Superstore of Savings!' I sell everything here! Weapons, armor, pets, jewelry, enclosed personal pocket dimensions, houses that are smaller on the outside, closets that are larger on the inside, time cake, fish, hellhounds, EVERYTHING!"

The finished his speech with a proud swell of his chest and a confident grin. Ruby was about to respond when he confidently jabbed a finger into her chest, "And you, Ruby Rose, will be my first customer!"

The man quickly dragged Ruby Towards his large shop, his surprising strength easily pulling her along even as she tried to pull herself out of his grasp and tried to explain that she wasn't currently shopping. The man just brushed her off and dragged her through the large wooden doors and into his store.

"How do you even know my name," Ruby grumbled as she was placed in front of the counter at the Cysero's store, as the aforementioned man moved behind the counter.

Grinning at her, Cysero answered with, "People around town talk about you." He then reached beneath his counter and pulled out a simple, brown backpack. The bag's top little more than a flap that was held down by a single brass clip on the front. Grinning, Cysero sat the bag down on the counter and said, "Okay, that'll be 100 Dragon Coins."

Ruby could only stare in confusion, "Err, what? I wasn't trying to purchase anything, and that's not even the proper currency."

Cysero's grin seemed to glint, "You didn't need to ask for me to know what you need."

"That doesn't answer the whole 'wrong currency' thing though."

Cysero, for the first time she had met him, frowned thoughtfully, "True." He cupped his face thoughtfully and stroked a nonexistent goatee.

While Cysero contemplated how he could sell goods without the appropriate currency, Ruby gestured to the bag and asked "Why would I need that anyway? I already have a travel pouch."

Cysero grinned, through open the bag, and shoved his whole arm down to the shoulder into its form. "This bag is enchanted to be bigger on the inside. You can carry so much more with this than you can with your ratty old thing!"

Despite feeling somewhat peeved with his calling her bag 'ratty,' Ruby couldn't really deny that a bag with that much carry space would be useful. "What all can I put in that bag," she asked, considering the potential uses as she eyed the satchel with renewed interest.

Grinning, Cysero patted two small pouches on the front of the bag, "These can carry medical supplies like potions and bandages," he moved to the side pouches on the bag, "these can carry projectile items," he finally moved to the bag's main section, "and there are several sections in here for weapons, clothing, armor, items, and pets!"

"Pets," Ruby asked uneasily, very uncomfortable with the concept of shoving a small animal into the confines of a weapon filled pouch.

Cysero, naturally, didn't drop his grin. "Yep, pets! Now you don't have to worry about leaving behind your companions! Great isn't it?"

Deciding that this wasn't a topic she wanted to think about, Ruby just nodded nervously and said, "Yeah, sure. That sounds really good, Cysero."

The man grinned, pleased at the praise. "Anyway, I've got a way you can still earn this bag without paying. All you gotta do is a small favor for me!"

"A favor?" Ruby eyed Cysero nervously. She didn't really know the mage, but she could already tell he wasn't the most stable person around, and the thought of doing a favor for him was rather intimidating.

"Yep!" Cysero flashed Ruby an ominously glowing thumbs-up, "My roommate still hasn't paid his rent, all I need you to do is collect it from him, can you do that?"

Ruby looked at him oddly, "That's all? Just get his rent for you?"

"Yep, I can't do it so I'll need you to."

"Why can't you get it yourself," Ruby asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Cysero crossed his arms and pouted, "The jerk made me agree to paint a line down the middle of the mage tower we share, and neither of us can cross it without permission."

Ruby gave an exaggerated slump, "That's it? Just a painted line?"

"It's not just a line," Cysero said seriously, "It's the boundary between left and right, green and blue, life and death. It's a very big deal."

Ruby gave him a doubting look, "Is that so…" She then shrugged it off, an easy favor for a free bag isn't something she should turn down. "Anyway, who is your roommate?"

"Oh, my roommate is Warlic, he's really boring and quiet when he isn't yelling about my laundry or something."

Ruby perked up at the mention of the now-familiar name of the elusive Blue Mage. "Warlic you say… In that case, Cysero, you have a deal. I'll get your rent from him."

Cysero grinned widely, flashing Ruby another thumbs-up, "Great! When can you go get it?"

Ruby experimentally rolled a shoulder, wincing as she felt her whole back pinch painfully, "I'll need some time to heal up, but after that I'll be good to go."

Cysero deflated a bit at the news that she would need time before she could go, but he didn't drop his smile, "Alright then, just stop by the store when you're ready, and I can send you to him through my half of the house."

With their discussion completed, Ruby waved to the Mad Weaponsmith and returned to the streets of Falconreach, which were now bustling with adventurers and travelers of all stripes. She resisted the urge to stretch as the sun's light warmed her body, knowing that doing so would most likely be uncomfortable with her current injuries.

Trying to find something to do to pass the time while she recovered, Ruby's attention was drawn to a madly waving ball of red fluff that was calling her name. It took Ruby a moment to recognize that it was the red moglin that had been with Lady Celestia when they had first met, Twilly if she recalled correctly.

She approached Twilly, who was perched on top of an old tree stump next to Yuglar's smithy and smiling at her approach. "Heya Ruby," the moglin shouted, smiling up at the redhead, "Didya get the egg back for Lady Celestia yet?"

Ruby smiled back at him, "Yeah, I actually got several eggs. I don't know which one is the dragon egg though, so I'm gonna need to carry them all around until I know which one it is."

Twilly looked confused, "You don't know which one it is? Any ideas on who might?"

Ruby shrugged, "Eh, I'm just gonna take them all to Lady Celestia and Warlic and see if they can figure it out." Deciding that it was awkward talking down the red moglin, Ruby dropped down onto the patch of grass beside his stump, flinching as the shock of her landing agitated her injuries.

Twilly shot her a look of concern, "Are you alright Ruby? If you're hurt, Twillys can heal you."

Ruby gave him a tired grin, "Yeah, I got pretty torn up while getting the eggs from a vultragon. Apparently we did a number on each other."

With a tilt of his head, Twilly asked "Apparently? Whaddya mean by that?"

Ruby scrunched up her face, "Eh, I don't really remember fighting it, I just remember being really mad at it, and wanting the egg back. After that I woke up at the inn, with Ash and Valencia informing me that there wasn't enough of the vultragon left to eat."

Twilly looked troubled at that, put quickly tried to cover it up when Ruby noticed. "A-anyway, let Twillys heal you up real quick!" With a swing of the small stick, that was about as tall as he was, a bright flash of light enveloped Ruby. The warm light seemed to embrace her body, and soothe her pain, the dull ache in her back diminishing until it was barely noticeable.

"There ya go," Twilly said with a friendly smile, "That should fix up your injuries enough for you to move around."

Ruby rolled her shoulders and stretched, grinning as she didn't feel the hot pain from earlier. "Wow Twilly, I knew you were good at healing but this is incredible! Thanks."

The moglin glowed from her praise, "No problem! Twillys can heal you whenever you need! Just don't get too hurt, alright?" The end of his statement was laced with noticeable concern.

Ruby smiled and patted his head, reveling in being able to embarrass someone by doing so instead of it being the other way around, "No promises, but I'll try."

Ruby pulled herself to her feet, smiling that she would no longer need to wait to heal up, but frowned before she could move away from Twilly. "Hey Twilly, do you think I should get my armor repaired before heading over to Warlic's, or do you think I can afford to not wear it?"

Twilly immediately said, "Repair your armor, the Elemental Foothills can be dangerous."

Ruby shrugged and said, "Alright then. I'm gonna go get that in order then. You wanna come with me when I head out to Warlic's?"

Twilly nodded excitedly, "Sure! Twillys needs to see Lady Celestia again anyway!"

Smiling at the moglin's energy, the now healed up Ruby waved to him and said, "Alright, just meet up with me here tomorrow and we should be able to head out."

With her piece said, Ruby made her way back to the inn, waving to Serenity and Maryann as she entered, and moved to her room. She swung open her door, checked over the eggs to make sure they were still together and in one piece, and moved over to her leather armor.

Looking over the item's current quality, Ruby realized that the armor was in worse condition than she originally thought. The talons that had torn the armor had also severed several important straps, bands, and even metal facets that held the light armor together. The torso alone was almost unsalvageable with the amount of rough tearing that marred its form. Other areas of the armor were in better shape, the greaves and pants being mostly worn from use, though they too sported several tears from her fight with the Vultragon and other foes. Her gauntlets were also damaged, with the left one being closer to a glove and bracer combination with how close it was to being fully cut in half. All in all, her protective gear was in extremely poor shape.

Looking over to her only other piece of equipment, the red cloak she had looted from the Soulkeeper back when she first met Serenity, she was dismayed to see that it too was in excessively poor shape. The already ragged cloak had been rent almost entirely in two along with her armor by the Vultragon. Three long talon marks marred the cloak's form, leaving the cloak's bottom trailing behind the hood by a jagged and thin strip of cloth.

Positioning the rags so that they closely resembled their untorn form, Ruby noted that the cloak still sported several holes along the back, marking where cloth had been entirely removed from the material.

Sighing to herself, Ruby moved the ruined remains of her cloak aside, and gathered up the shredded armor. "I really hope Yuglar can patch this up," she muttered to herself, knowing that damages of this level were well beyond her own level of skill.

Ruby made her way back down the stairs, once again waving the inn's tired proprietor and its friendly cook, before making her way out the door. Ruby made a beeline for the smithy, absently greeting townsfolk and travelers, while trying desperately to not let any potentially loose parts fall out of the pile that was once a functional armor.

She carefully pushed open the establishment's door, relaxing a bit as the familiar smells and sounds of of the town smithy filled her senses. "Hey Yuglar, I'm back," she greeted the smithy's owner, raising her ruined leathers up a bit, "and I've got some repairs that I'll probably need your help with!"

Ruby looked around the smithy, noticing that Yuglar wasn't at his usual spot behind the counter. The sounds of hammer impacting metal ringing from the back of the smithy alerted Ruby to her mentor's current location. Entering the back of the shop, Ruby prepared to greet the brunette man, but halted when she noticed that he wasn't the one working the forge, but was instructing someone she hadn't met before.

It was a young man with blonde hair that was cut into a neat, short style. His short bangs were swept the side, and were sticking to his face with sweat from the forge's heat. He was hammering away at a rough piece of iron, the small chunk beginning to somewhat resemble a nail. A rather basic bit of blacksmithing.

It was then that Ruby realized what was going on. She pulled her face into an exaggerated pout, and did her best to cross her arms without dropping her leather armor. "Yuglar," she admonished, voice filled with faux outrage, "I was gone for only a week and you've already replaced me?"

The brunette blacksmith and his blonde trainee both started at the unexpected voice, the blonde cursing as he accidently brought his hammer down too hard and flattened part of the nail he was working on.

"Oh Ruby," Yuglar said, surprise evident in his voice, "I didn't see you there." The blacksmith met his young student's glare and nervously gestured to the young man he stood over, "Er, this is Konnan, my… apprentice."

Ruby didn't lighten her pout as she held his nervous gaze, "So you really did replace me. You're a jerk, you know that?"

Yuglar shuddered under the redhead's hurt glare, the similarities to his daughter Aria's preferred expression of displeasure making it all the harder to ignore. Just as he was about to say something to break the stiff, somewhat awkward silence, Ruby finally broke down, chuckling at his and Konnan's reactions.

"Hah, you guys should've seen your faces," she laughed, causing Yuglar to relax and stifle a fond smile, "You really should have told me you were getting an apprentice though, I'm still your student."

Yuglar chuckled while Ruby and Konnan formally introduced themselves, the blonde giving Ruby an appraising look, with at least a small amount of derision for her interruption of his training.

With basic introductions out of the way, Yuglar turned to Ruby and asked, "So, what brings you over today? You had some important business recently so I wasn't expecting you to come back to work so soon."

Ruby held out her ruined armor, which Yuglar took and began examining the damages done to the leathers, "I need some repairs done, and I'm nowhere near good enough to fix this."

Yuglar stretched one of the tears on the armor's back, examining the torn and stained leather. His face was set in an unpleasant grimace as he looked at the brownish-red residue left on his fingers as he handled the tears. "You got yourself really torn up, didn't you." Despite the questioning words, Yuglar was clearly stating it as a foregone conclusion.

Ruby nodded, a slight wince on her face. "Yeah, my last fight got pretty hectic, and my armor got wasted during the fight." She sighed as she rubbed her back, which was itching at the thought of her injuries from the fight. "Think you could fix it?"

Yuglar sighed and said, "Probably, but I'm not sure how comfortable I am doing so." At Ruby's pout he said, "Seriously Ruby, there's enough blood stained on here to say that you very well could have died. I know that you want to be a hero, but you can't do that if you're dead."

Ruby startled at the firm, yet kind tone Yuglar took as he scolded her. Even though she had no intentions of stopping her current job, she still felt somewhat ashamed under his firm gaze. Steeling herself, Ruby countered with, "I know that, but I can't just stop. Besides, if you don't repair my armor, then I'll just find some other defensive gear to wear."

Yuglar sighed, "You would, wouldn't you? You've been a stubborn kid ever since we first met." Massaging the bridge of his nose, Yuglar said, "Fine, I'll repair your armor. I'll see if I can't reinforce it as well. Just promise me you'll be cautious, okay?"

Ruby nodded to him, a grin breaking across her face, "You got it, Yuglar. You're the best, by the way!"

A fond, if somewhat strained smile stretched across Yuglar's face. "Alright then, come back tomorrow, I'll see if I can't get these rags back in working condition by then."

* * *

Ruby soon found herself back outside the smithy, on Falconreach's main road. "Let's see," she mumbled to herself, "I've gotten myself patched up, I'm getting my armor patched up, and I have a way to find Warlic when I'm ready, what else will I need?" Ruby rubbed her chin as she thought. She would do maintenance on her weapons when she returned to the inn, and she would go over medical supplies at around the same time.

She hummed in thought and said to herself, "Maybe I should stop by Reens's, I should at least make sure that Twilly's healing fully worked."

With her new destination in mind, Ruby casually walked towards the Western edge of Falconreach, where the doctor's office was stationed. She entered the building to find Reens emptying a large satchel, placing various plants and other alchemical reagents onto a table by her medicine cabinet.

The blue haired doctor turned when the door opened, a concerned look crossing her features when she saw Ruby standing in the entryway. "Oh, back already? You haven't reopened your wounds, have you?"

Ruby shook her head, "Nah, as a matter of fact, Twilly, he's a moglin, healed me up earlier. I just wanted to stop by and see if he fully healed my back, or if there is still anything left."

"A moglin you say," Reens's face lit up with surprise at the revelation, "We don't get those all that often. They say that they're some of the most potent healers in the world." As she spoke, Reens led Ruby to a back room so that she could examine her back.

With Ruby once again shedding her bandages, Reens carefully examined the marks on her back. She was shocked to see that not only had the wounds fully healed over, but that the scar tissue that would have stood out brightly due to freshness and deepness was already partially faded, leaving long, noticeable, but otherwise average looking lines across the redhead's back.

"I must say," Reens muttered, "despite hearing of their abilities, I didn't think moglins were this proficient in healing. I may just have to get that little guy to help around the office from time to time."

"So does it look fully healed," Ruby asked, looking over her shoulder at Reens.

The woman nodded in response, "Yep, it actually looks like it healed some time ago. It's pretty surprising, honestly."

Ruby began pulling her shirt back on, forgoing the now pointless bandages that had wrapped her torso earlier. With herself redressed, Ruby spun around to face Reens, "So, anything else I should do, or do you think I'm free to go?"

Reens thought for a moment before grabbing an empty glass vial from her alchemy lab. "It doesn't have anything to do with your visit, but if you could test something for me, I would very much appreciate it."

"Sure, what do you need help with?" Ruby smiled as she asked her question, watching as the doctor filled the vial with a small amount of health potion.

"I've been experimenting with a new method of alchemy. I'm hoping I can enchant glass bottles to boost the effectiveness of normal potions rather than simply making higher grade potions. If I can do this then I can get the same effects from basic potions as I would from more difficult and expensive ones. I just need you to drink this at some point and tell me if it's more powerful than the stuff you have in your normal, unenchanted bottle. Can you do it?"

Ruby gave Reens a cheery salute, "Sure thing doc! Leave it to me!"

"Alright, glad to hear it." Reens then pulled a serious face, "But don't think this is permission to just go out and hurt yourself, try to stay safe please."

Feeling somewhat cowed from being scolded a second time that day, Ruby pouted a gave her a "Yeah, sure, fine."

With an experimental potion in her bag, a fully healed back, armor being repaired, and weapons to maintain in her room, Ruby returned to the inn as the sun began to set. She returned to her room, instinctively checking over the eggs again, before setting about making sure her daggers and Firebrand were in proper working condition.

Once she wa certain that her weapons were in little to no danger of breaking down anytime soon, Ruby set about preparing for the next day. Once her armor was repaired, she would set out for Warlic's, and finally unveil which of the eggs in her possession was the irritatingly elusive dragon egg.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**AN: Hello again! Welcome back to Ruby's Lore. I am your host, ShadowedCalling, and I wish you all a good day!**

 **How was it? Did I sound welcoming? I bet I did.**

 **Oh, by the way, I've been adding chapter names to some of the chapters. I'll do that to mark the beginnings and ends of various arcs throughout the story so that if anyone needs to find a specific section it can be narrowed down to a few chapters.**

 **Thanks for the review, guisniperman.**

 **Guisniperman: I have read Double Edged. It's a pretty good, if borderline dead fic. I don't think I'll try to get everything from the earlier years done, let alone in the canonical order that they were in that fic. I've already altered enough things, if minorly, that some just wouldn't fit. Besides that, other events, like the War at See, just don't interest me enough to write. There wasn't a scrap of information from that war that couldn't be easily be introduced in a more natural manner. Doesn't really help that Double Edged is so well done that I'd have trouble not accidentally copying methods of covering events from it unless I actively try and do things differently.**

 **Sorry this chapter was late. I got sick and my chronic migraines decided to make a reappearance. Basically, I've been doing a corpse impersonation for the whole past week, and wasn't able to make much progress.**

 **As usual, all critique is welcome, and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

The next morning found Ruby slowly waking up to the familiar sound of Serenity knocking on her door before starting up breakfast. Ruby blearily checked over the eggs, which she had kept close at hand all night, before pulling herself out of bed to begin her morning ritual.

Once she had finished her preparations and inn-based duties for the day, Ruby left the inn and entered the sunlit streets of Falconreach. She immediately made her way to Yuglar's smithy, opening the door to see the brunette and his blonde apprentice setting up various wares for display.

When Yuglar noticed Ruby enter he waved and said, "Mornin' Ruby. I'm guessing you're here to pick up your armor?" At Ruby's energetic affirmation Yuglar reached under the counter and pulled out a set of leather armor, though it had some new additions.

Ruby took the leather armor into her hands and examined the work. Yuglar had forgone trying to repair the ruined chest piece, and had instead replaced it with new, thicker leather cuirass. The cuirass was reinforced with light, steel chainmail that was layered between two pieces of hardened hide. The armor was bulkier than the more lithe gear she was used to, but it was also notably stronger.

The gauntlets were largely unchanged, they had been patched up, but Yuglar hadn't thickened or reinforced the gauntlets so that they wouldn't reduce Ruby's dexterity. Her boots, however, had been reinforced with small metal plating, giving them extra protection from terrain.

Ruby nodded as she looked over her repaired and improved armor, a content smile on her face. "It looks perfect, thank you Yuglar. How much for the repairs?"

Yuglar simply waved her off, "It's on the house this time around, just try not to get so hurt and we'll be even."

Ruby smiled brightly, "Thanks Yuglar! I'll try not to get beaten half to death again soon, don't worry."

Yuglar sighed at her statement, "You know Ruby, sometimes you really concern me in regards to if you were raised correctly."

"Why do you say that," Ruby asked, somewhat bemused by Yuglar's almost resigned comment.

"Ruby, most people would be at least somewhat concerned about being nearly killed just a few days ago." He thought for a moment and added, "They wouldn't be so flippant about their possible deaths in the future either."

Ruby shrugged, somewhat nonchalant, "Eh, I've been nearly dying since I was a kid, what's a few dozen more near misses?"

"As I said, I really worry about how you were raised."

* * *

Ruby soon found herself standing outside the Falconreach Inn, suited up in her reinforced leathers, daggers strapped in their normal positions on her legs and thighs, and Firebrand sheathed in her back, she held the five eggs in her arms, wrapped in her torn cloak to keep them together. Ruby stretched out, taking care not to drop her precious cargo, and getting a feel for how her improved armor moved.

She frowned slightly at the expected, but no less disappointing conclusion that her new armor, while light, restricted her movement a bit more than the old armor did. It probably wouldn't result in any major failures to dodge or respond to attacks and openings, but it was still irksome to know that she wouldn't have the full range of movement she was used to.

With her quick stretches done, Ruby strolled into the center of town, quickly spotting Twill amongst the various townsfolk and travelers milling about. The small, bright red moglin stood out quite obviously against the soft browns and greens of town. He waved excitedly as she walked over.

"Heya Ruby," he greeted as she approached, "You ready to go visit Warlic?"

Ruby nodded, "Yep, I just gotta wait for Ash to show up, and we can head out."

Just as she said that, the aforementioned brunette shambled over to Twilly's tree stump, looking rather ragged. "Sorry I'm late, Ruby. I accidentally put my armor on inside out."

Ruby rose an eyebrow disbelievingly, "How did you manage that?"

Ash blushed and rubbed the back of his head, "I, uh, I slept in and forgot we were supposed to be meeting up, so I ended up rushing to get ready." He looked down in embarrassment, "I can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something now."

Ruby was about to respond when the disorganized wannabe knight's pants found their way to his ankles, causing Ash to let out a girly shriek of surprise and embarrassment. Ruby chuckled as her friend scrambled to cover himself, "I think I know what you forgot, Ash."

Her words failed to reach Ash, however, as he had already taken off to grab his belt, one hand on his waistband to keep his trousers from once again gracing the ground with their presence.

Ruby and Twilly discussed their plans for reaching Warlic, and went over the supplies Ruby had gathered while they waited for Ash to return. As they went over the light rations, including a couple of Serenity's loaves of bread and two filled water canteens, Ash staggered back to them, face painted red with both embarrassment and strain from his earlier mad dash.

"O-okay, I'm back. And my pants won't fall off this time." He sighed tiredly "Sorry for wasting your time."

Ruby snickered at his somewhat defeated tone, "Don't worry Ash, we still needed to go over supplies before leaving. You didn't waste any time." Ruby bent down and gathered up the eggs, which she had set down next to the tree stump while rooting through her supplies. Once she had all five eggs securely in her arms she turned to her companions and asked, "You two ready to head out?" At their nods of assent, she began making her way to Cysero's Superstore, so that he could show them how to get to Warlic's.

The three filed into the large wooden doors that marked the entrance into Cysero's store, Twilly and Ash gazing around in wonder at the sheer size of the place. Ruby was also surprised, as she was quite certain that the shop hadn't had the counter-lined halls the first time she entered. Especially since said hallways extended beyond where the shop's building should have logically ended.

Cysero grinned as the entered, his usual face-splitting grin widening noticeably, creeping Ash out. "Hey Ruby," he called out to her, "You ready to get my rent?"

Ruby nodded, "Yep, just point us in the right direction and we'll go get the money for you."

"Great!" Cysero opened a door behind his counter and beckoned the three over to him, "This door is magically linked to the tower Warlic and I share. He lives on the other side of it. If he isn't inside the tower he'll be right outside of it."

"So we just go through here and we'll find him," Ruby questioned, more for confirmation than anything.

"Yep," Cysero merrily popped the 'p,' "All you've gotta do is go through." He thought for a moment and added, "By the way, watch out for my dirty laundry, I haven't really had time to clean up recently."

Ruby nodded, a thankful smile on her face. "Got it. Travel through tower, beware laundry. This will be easy." She tried to give him a friendly wave, but couldn't with her arms currently preoccupied by the eggs. Instead she just waggled an elbow at him, "Thanks for the help, Cysero."

The brunette just kept grinning, "No problem Ruby, and tell Celestia I said 'hi!'"

"I will," and with that Ruby, Ash, and Twill stepped into Cysero's half of the mages' tower. It wasn't until the door had swung shut that she asked, "Wait, how did you know she'd be there?"

Ruby gave the closed door an odd look before shrugging, figuring that it was just Cysero being the weird guy he seemed to always be. She turned to her two companions, "You guys ready for an easy journey?"

Ash nodded happily, "Yep, it'll be nice not having to fight through bandits and angry wildlife this time."

Ruby nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and since it's just a tower we shouldn't have to go that far either."

Twilly nodded as well, large ears flopping comically, "Twillys agrees. Danger is no good for Twillys's fur."

And with that, the three walked off into the expanse of the shared tower of Cysero, the Green Mage, and Warlic, the Blue Mage.

* * *

A door within the tower slammed open, a harried Ruby and Twilly diving through it, desperate to escape their pursuing assailants. "Close it! CLOSE IT!" Ruby's desperate shouts were answered by Ash's hasty slamming of the door, trapping long ropes of cloth between the door and its frame.

The three collapsed to the floor panting, Ruby clutching her clutch of eggs close to her chest, as they warily eyed the struggling clothing trapped by the door. The navy blue cloth was tied into knots that looked suspiciously like nooses, and they were still making an effort to strangle the three companions.

These things had beset Ruby and her companions the second they had made it a few steps into Cysero's tower. They had lept from shadows, drawers, piles, and crevices to strangle the intruders for their entry.

Ruby let out a heaving, "When Cysero said dirty laundry, I didn't think he meant… THIS!"

Ash, who had collapsed onto his face in exhaustion could only groan in agreement, still traumatised from when Twilly had to take one of Ruby's daggers to cut his neck free from soft, suffocating tendrils.

Twilly meanwhile grabbed his ears and pulled them over his eyes as he shook fearfully. "Twillys thought you said that it would be safe," he sniffled.

Ruby patted the moglin's shivering head and apologized, "Sorry Twilly, I thought it would have been an easy, safe trip." She grumbled something unflattering under her breath before saying, "That's the last time I trust Cysero when he says something is safe."

Ash's pained groan was all Ruby needed to know that he agreed. Completely.

Ruby staggered back to her feet, listening to the sounds of ruffling fabric and scratches emanating from behind the closed door. She steadied her breathing and said, "Come on, the sooner we get moving the sooner we can find our way out of here."

Twilly peaked out from behind his ears before nodding shakily. Ash also nodded while pulling his face off of the floor. The trio stood and examined the corridor that they had fled into. The long hallway was lined with oddly shaped doors and sideways windows. Strange scuffling noises could be heard coming from up ahead, though none of three could see what was causing them.

They cautiously began to make their way down the hall, eyes peeled and searching for the first sign of danger. As they proceeded, the scuffling noises grew louder and louder, until Ruby finally caught sight of the source.

Filth, bugs, dust, and trash swept from beneath the long, faded carpet that stretched out before them, piling up and glowing with magic. The trio jumped backwards, Ash shakily unsheathing his sword and Twilly readying his staff, as the pile of filth grew and formed a very large, very spiky, and very green bipedal bear-like creature. The glowing yellow eyes of the Bugbear locked onto the two youths and their moglin companion, glinting hungrily. Its massive maw, which made up about a third of its height, opened wide and the filthy golem let loose a gurgling, stomach churning roar as it surged forward.

The trio dived out of the Bugbear's path as it tried to sink its fangs into their forms. As it stumbled past its targets, the Bugbear rolled forward, extending the spikes on its back and launching itself into the air and landing on its feet, once again facing the group.

Ruby let out a low whistle, "Wow, it's pretty acrobatic for living garbage." She hefted the eggs in her arms and looked towards Ash and Twilly, "I hate to ask this of you guys, but you're gonna need to fight that on your own." At Ash's horrified 'WHAT!?' Ruby shrugged and said, "Well, it's either that or trust you to not break my eggs and fight myself, and for some reason, I don't trust you with them."

Ash's attempt to respond was cut off by a last second dodge of the Bugbear's sweeping, sticky claws that were aimed for his head. With a panicked shout, Ash slashed at the crusty creature. His sword bit into the Bugbear's side, forcing it to leap backwards to avoid severe damage. Ash lost his balance due to the sudden shift in weight, as well as surprise on how easily his blade cut into it.

He was brought out of his surprise by a shout from Ruby, who advised, "It doesn't seem to be that sturdy, since it's made of dust and grime and stuff. You shouldn't have too much trouble tearing through it!"

Ash nodded, and pulled a confident face. He glared firmly at the recovering Bugbear, which was still surprised at the damage. Sharp yellow eyes met his soft brown ones, and the beast let loose another gurgling roar. Ash readied his blade to meet the grimy golem, but was caught off guard when the beast hunched over and displayed its rotten, filthy spines.

Said spines then extended from the Bugbear's back with tremendous speed, nearly skewering the wannabe knight. Ash yelped as he dived to the side, wincing as one of the hardened weapons carved a shallow gash in his arm.

Recovering, Ash dashed forward, dragging his sword behind him. As he reached the Bugbear, he lifted the weapon over his head and brought it down on the beast. The blade carved into the monster's front, cleaving a gash into the Bugbear's chest.

Dirt, bugs, and garbage fell from the injury, in a manner similar to blood. The Bugbear roared in pain, grimy paw grasping the fetid wound. While it was trying to keep itself from falling apart, Ash moved forward and stabbed into the monster's face. The body stiffened as the blade crunched into its form, before finally collapsing to the ground in an inanimate pile of trash. Ash breathed heavily as he eyed the pile of filth for any movement. Once he was certain it wouldn't get back up, Ash sighed in relief and relaxed his stance.

Rby walked up behind him and clumsily slapped her elbow into his back. "Good job Ash, did you get hurt?"

Ash nodded while rubbing the gash on his arm, "Yeah, it's just a cut though."

Ruby frowned and said, "We should probably get that cleaned though." She turned to Twilly and said, "I've got some disinfectant in my pouch, think you can patch him up?"

Twilly nodded, his large ears flapping as he did so, and pulled at the rubbing alcohol, "Show Twillys your injury, and Twillys will fix it!"

Once Twilly cleaned Ash's wound, he channeled magic through his small, wooden staff and closed his wound. With the light damage healed, the trio continued their way down the hallway.

They continued on, Ruby subconsciously tightening her hold on her fragile cargo as they neared one of the large, sideways windows. As the passed it, Ruby spared a glance outside and froze. Ash and Twilly continued on a few feet, but stopped when they noticed she had stopped.

"Uh, I think I know why this tower has such a long hallway," Ruby stammered, gaze locked onto the scenery outside the window. The two approached the window, Twilly clambering up Ash's body so that he could actually see over the windowsill, and gaped. Stretching before them was a landscape that was just as sideways as the window they gazed out of.

To their left was rolling green hills, expanses of trees, and even a cliff face off in the distance. On their right was the endless expanse of clear blue sky, dotted with slowly moving clouds. They gazed out in wonder as Ash breathed, "Woah, the whole world is sideways."

"I think it's the other way around," Ruby chuckled, "It's the tower that's sideways."

"Oh, so what? We're walking up a tower by walking down a hallway?"

Ruby nodded, "Yep, seems like it." Ruby looked down the hallway, "Not sure if we're heading the right direction though. The end of the hall would be the top of the tower, and I don't think that's where an exit would be."

Ash scrunched up his face, "So, should we turn around?"

Ruby shook her head, "Nah, I don't wanna have a bunch of Laundry Golems trying to hang me again. Let's keep moving, this place is weird, so I could be wrong about it not being the exit."

Ash shrugged, "Fair enough."

The trio continued making their way down the the long, vertical hallway, their eyes and ears focused on detecting any and all threats that Cysero left around his tower. Ash kept a hand on his sword, which he had sheathed. Ruby kept a firm grip on the clutch of eggs, cradling them close to her chest. Twilly held his staff in a loose grip, and his ears were perked up to catch as much sound as possible.

As they made their way down the hall, Ash tugged on any door they passed, hoping to find a path out of Cysero's tower. The first just opened up to a bathroom. The second to an indoor pool. The third to a portal to an eldritch dimension with way too many tentacles sticking out of it. And the fourth was just nailed to a wall.

"Why would he even have that," Ash asked, feeling somewhat exasperated at the contents of the seemingly endless hall, "There wasn't even a room."

Ruby shrugged, glancing at a glowing bookcase, "Dunno, but things have been getting weirder as we've traveled deeper into here. Haven't seen many monsters though."

Just as she said that, a flower vase exploded, revealing a small bipedal flower. It charged forward, yellow petals trailing behind it, just for Ruby to slam a foot down onto it, crushing the flower and halting its attack. "You know, these monsters aren't nearly as dangerous as I expected."

Ash poked the glowing bookcase, flinching and patting his hand out when his glove caught on fire. "Yeah, but this whole place is so weird that I think it makes up for them."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I suppose their earlier numbers also balance things out."

As the three continued on, they eventually came across a thick, yellow line painted across the hall, stretching along the floor, up the walls, and connecting on the ceiling.

"Is THAT the boundary between the two halves of the tower?" Ruby's voice was dripping with disappointment as she took in the mundane and childish divider between the two halves of the tower.

While Ruby was distracted by her disappointment at the lack of some fancy magical barrier that acted as a divider between the domains of two mages, she failed to notice the slowly growing sounds of rustling cloth. It was only Ash's shout of warning that allowed her to dodge the navy blue Laundry Golem that leapt at her from the window, sleeves aimed for her throat.

The Laundry Golem landed on the ground in a heap, before lifting itself back up. It turned to look at its targets, white button eyes gleaming ominously with innate magic. As it sized up its prey, several more Laundry Golems clambered in through the windows, fabric bodies rustling as the piled in on one another.

Ash, Ruby, and Twilly all clustered together as the technicolor Laundry Golems surrounded them, blank, slightly glowing buttons all focused on the intruders. "Crap," Ash groaned, voice somewhat shaky, "Those things caught back up to us."

Ruby nodded nervously, struggling with the choice to either risk the eggs and pull out a weapon, or to just take her chances and protect the fragile cargo. She glanced at Ash, doing her best not to lose sight of the lynch-happy laundry, "Think you can take on a dozen or so laundry golems?"

Ash gave her a nervous look, "Honestly? No, I don't"

"Think you can at least open a path for escape?"

Ash looked at the group of Golems standing between them and the line that led into Warlic's half of the tower. He nodded, "Yeah, I think I can handle that much."

However, before Ash could rush forward and try to defeat the small group of Laundry Golems before the group, an ominous voice cut through the hall.

" **Don't think you can escape that easily, intruders.** " The trio swung around to witness a dark green Laundry Golem shamble to the front of the ring of golems, carrying a brightly glowing orb in its hands. Said orb flashed and the voice said, " **Your presence is unwelcome, and the destruction you have leashed upon this tower shall not be forgiven.** "

Said orb then exploded with a brilliant green light. Its metal base impacted the floor as thick green magic formed a wispy body that connected to the now floating orb. Disembodied hands of ethereal green flames formed on either side of the body, each one with glimmering with power. The orb gathered power into its hands and roared, " **FOR YOUR TRESPASSES, YOUR SENTENCE IS DEATH!** "

The trio had to dodge out of the way as a brilliant beam of green magic tore through the air. It impacted one of the Laundry Golems who had been standing behind them, setting its fabric on fire. Taking that as an invitation, the other golems all charged into battle, their smoldering brother leading the charge with a fiery passion.

The group quickly found themselves being overwhelmed, the numbers of golems combined with the might of Cysero's Rampaging Orb easily outsripping Ash, the only currently available fighter in their group. The most Twilly could do was heal any injuries Ash recieved so that he could keep fighting. Ruby's arms were still full, so the most she could do was kick any monsters that got close to her out of the way, and hope that was enough to help.

The Laundry Golems were only dangerous because of their numbers, Ash easily dispatching any he engaged as their fabric bodies weren't particularly durable. However, they attacked in such numbers that for every one he killed, two more would slide in and try to strangle him. The Smoldering Laundry Golem was particularly troublesome, as it would try to set him and Ruby on fire by grabbing at the more flammable parts of their protective clothing.

Meanwhile, the Rampaging Orb would shout orders, organizing its minions, while firing powerful magical attacks from a distance. Fireballs, bolts of lightning, icicles, gales of wind, and destructive beams of pure energy would sporadically rain down on the party, forcing them to try and move out of the way, something the sea of living cloth surrounding them wasn't making easy for them.

Twilly eventually went down, being thrown down the hall by a surprising solid punch from the enchanted laundry. He tumbled down t6he hall, before resting in an unconscious heap. Ash called out to him in shock, and was almost hanged for his distraction as bright pink polkadotted sleeves tried to snake around his neck.

Meanwhile, Ruby had become the Orb's preferred target, the magical sphere throwing almost nonstop attacks her while shouting " **HAH! Dance mortal! You only make your death more amusing for me!** " Ruby glared at the orb, still balancing the clutch of five eggs in her arms.

Then she slipped up.

A fireball slammed into her precious cargo, throwing the egg it impacted upwards into Ruby's horrified face. As she stood in shock, semi-cooked egg smeared across her cheeks, the Rampaging Orb chortled, " **Heh, looks like the human's got EGG on her face!** "

Naturally, Ruby didn't take too kindly to either the joke, nor the destruction of one of the eggs that may have been _her_ egg. As a matter of fact, she was steaming, and it wasn't just from the now steaming egg whites that were splattered on her.

Ash and the Laundry Golems all paused in their attempts to kill each other when a massive, beastial roar shook the mages' tower. They all looked over to watch as an enraged Ruby began mercilessly kicking the Rampaging Orb, cracking its crystalline center and forcing it on the defensive. Her vicious flurry of kicks were eventually disrupted by the Orb conjuring a small whirlwind that blew her backwards, and almost knocked yet another egg from her grasp.

While she managed to rebalance the fragile object, the near loss of yet another egg enraged Ruby even more. She let out an unnatural snarl as she renewed her assault, driving her feet into the only two solid parts of the Rampaging Orb, its now heavily dented base and cracked crystal.

The Orb shouted " **Okay! Okay! I yield! I'm sorry!** " It held up its ethereal hands in surrender, hoping to placate the rampaging redhead. Instead she drove one last kick through its center, shattering the orb and causing its magic to dissipate.

She glared down at the shattered remains of her foe and growled, "That's what you get for attacking _my_ eggs, punk." With a quick thought she gathered up the remains of the orb and stored them in her bag, hoping that they may be useful for something due to their magical nature.

With her brutal massacre of the orb completed, Ruby's silver eyes roamed over to Ash's conflict, only to find that the brunette had managed to defeat them while they were distracted with their master's demise.

She smiled at him as she approached, though flinched somewhat when he gave her a weary look. "You, uh, you really did a number on him, huh?"

Ruby frowned somewhat sheepishly, "Yeah, sorry if that freaked you out. I just get really angry whenever the egg is threatened." She looked down at the diminishing clutch of four eggs, "I really hope that the dragon egg is still in my arms."

Ash looked at her with worry, "Have you flown into a rage like that before?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, I got like with the Vultragon too, I dunno why though. I usually don't get that angry about things, even if they are important."

Ash walked over to Twilly's downed form and picked up the unconscious moglin, "Do you think we should ask someone about it?"

Ruby shook her head, "Nah, I'm probably just being really protective since it's a baby. I've never really interacted with one, but I hear people get really with defensive when those are involved."

Ash shrugged at her answer, "Fair enough, I guess. I remember Dad telling me stories of Mom wrestling a gorillaphant that found its way onto our farm when I was a baby, so I'd believe it."

Ruby couldn't help but laugh, "Your mom wrestled a gorillaphant? She sounds like my kind of person."

Ash chuckled, "Yeah, she's pretty cool. Wasn't particularly fond of me wanting to become a knight though. She said it was too dangerous."

Ruby scoffed as they stepped over the line into Warlic's side of the tower. "I don't think your mo has any right to say something like that."

"Yep, that's exactly what Dad said," Ash sighed, "I do wonder if I should have listened to her though. I really didn't need to know what nearly being killed by dirty laundry felt like."

Ruby looked back at the crumpled piles of torn cloth, "Yeah, I don't think anyone did."


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**AN: Hello again folks, and welcome back to Ruby's Lore.**

 **Thanks for the review last chapter, guisniperman.**

 **Guisniperman: Eh, it probably won't be afraid, that adorable little eldritch horror probably can't even feel such things. Fortunately, I've fudged enough events that I have a relatively reasonable explanation as to why they won't need to backtrack for the book, so they won't need to wade through another ocean of homicidal Laundry Golems.**

 **On a completely unrelated note, did you know that in pre-Civil War Maryland, there was a group called the "Butt Enders?" As juvenile as it is, this is probably the funniest damn thing I've heard all month and I just felt like sharing it with you all.**

 **Sorry this has been late, and is most likely rather low quality, but life's got me down in the dumps recently. Bouts of random depression aren't wholly uncommon for me, but I still have trouble motivating myself whenever they come. Also, I did some rewrites, so they took up a lot of my "not-feeling-like-corpsing-myself" time. I'll probably come back and edit this soon, just give me some time to get out of this funk. Fortunately, my mood's been recovering recently. It may be stupid to let something like the "Kirby Live Radio" be enough to lift my spirits, but damn do I feel better when endless Kirby music is playing in my ears.**

 **[** _ **ATTENTION**_ **]**

 **I've done some rewrites for the first three chapters. Won't be anything massive, just quality controlling some bits and smoothing over, some minor changes to the timeline, Ruby will be arriving at a slightly younger age to better fit canon, all of chapter one is being altered. Don't expect any major changes to the story as a whole from them, but they will have some differences. I've swapped the old ones for the new ones, all rewrites have been labeled "V2" so if you wanna see what's new, go check 'em out.**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

After several minutes of wandering through the mercifully sane half of the Mages' Tower, this side run by the Blue Mage, the haggard trio were faced by their greatest foe so far, a moody, sarcastic, gothic teenager.

She glared at the two humans and the moglin who stood before her, derision clear in her emerald eyes. Her deep indigo hair was pulled up into two short, spiky puffs, and her lips were pulled back in a disgusted sneer. The teen crossed her arms over her chest, ruffling the dark purple fabric of minidress and absentmindedly tossing her purple cape with an innate haughtiness.

She glared at the three and spat, "Oh wonderful, a bunch of snot nosed brats. How did you runts manage to get in this tower?"

Ruby met the angsty teen's glare with a mostly calm gaze, "Um, we're looking for Warlic. Cysero said that we would be able to find him if we traveled to this half of the tower."

The indigo-haired girl glowered, "Of course Cysero would be responsible, that jerk is so annoying." She directed a heated gaze towards the three whose mere presence irked her, "Tch, you'll find Warlic near the entrance, down the hall. He and that obnoxious priestess haven't left that area since she showed up."

Ruby smiled, "Thanks, uh, sorry, I didn't catch your name." Ruby paused for a second, when the goth didn't answer she said, "Oh, sorry, I'm Ruby Rose. It's nice to meet you."

The indigo was moving to leave without introducing herself when she paused, and looked back at the redhead, taking note of the four eggs she held in her hands, as well as the magic that circled around the whole clutch. She narrowed her eyes in recognition and understanding.

"Wait a second, one of those is a dragon egg, right?"

"Umm yeah, that's why we need Warlic's help, we don't know which is which." While Ruby answered the question, the goth sent her an appraising look.

Eventually she nodded to herself and said "Hmph, the name's Nythera. You'd better remember it, 'cause I ain't gonna waste my breath introducing myself again." Nythera paid minimal attention while Ruby's two companions introduced themselves, and instead focused on the girl before her.

As the three walked past her, heading towards the area she had indicated as being where Warlic was, Nythera made her move. She quickly leaned towards Ruby as she passed, bringing her mouth near the girl's ear, and whispered, "Your being here is neither accident nor coincidence. Watch yourself."

Before the redhead could respond or question what Nythera had meant, the goth was already moving away from them and disappearing behind the corner. Once the three were out of earshot, Nythera smirked, the gears of thought already turning as she factored the presence of the dimensionally displaced redhead into her plans.

* * *

Ruby, Ash, and Twilly continued down the hallway after their run in with Nythera. Ruby tuned out Ash and Twilly's conversation about how much of a jerk she was in favor of thinking about the last thing Nythera told her. She claimed that Ruby wasn't 'here' by accident, but what did she mean? Did she mean here as in the tower, here as in Greenguard, or here as in Lore as a whole? Or maybe all of the above?

As Ruby dwelled on the possible meanings behind Nythera's words, as well as what those words implied the moody teenager knew, she failed to notice she was approaching her destination. It was only the calls of her companions that prevented her from plowing into the silver haired woman who stood before her.

It only took Ruby a second to recognize Priestess Celestia, but by the time she did the woman was already greeting the small moglin who had bodily thrown himself at her. Ruby grinned, sending her a happy, "Hey Lady Celestia, I think I managed to get the egg you asked for."

The priestess turned her attention towards the eggs Ruby had in her arms, the woman focused for a second before smiling, "It seems you did. Though I'm guessing you don't know which egg is the dragon egg, right?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, I was told Warlic could help me out with that." She thought for a moment, face twisting in confusion, "But why are you here, Lady Celestia?"

The priestess chuckled as she led the three through the tower, "As a dragon priestess it's my duty to make sure that any young dragons I come across are healthy. This includes making sure that eggs are kept in good condition. Once we've dispelled the illusion that the egg has wrapped itself in, I'll be checking it over to make sure it's still healthy."

Ash tilted his head in confusion, "An illusion? How did an egg create an illusion?" Before Celestia could answer his question, Ash quickly introduced himself, "Oh, and the name's Ash Dragonblade, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Mister Dragonblade. As for your question, dragons are some of the most inherently magical creatures on Lore, only beaten out by spirits and elementals. Because of this, their young are often times targeted by predators who feed on magical creatures. As such, their eggs are wrapped in an illusion that makes them look like the eggs of some of the larger, less magical creatures in whatever area they currently inhabit."

Ruby screwed up her face in concern, "There are monsters that eat baby dragons? Why? Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

Celestia nodded, "Indeed, that's why they target eggs. Dragons aren't too fond of nesting and often leave their eggs unattended, so those are the easiest targets. That being said, don't be caught off guard should you see a creature who does feast on clutches of dragon eggs, they are still magically powerful enough to fight an adult dragon until they can escape, and as such pose a major threat to humans."

Ruby nodded in understanding, holding the eggs in her possession closer to her chest. She was going to ask another question when Celestia called out to someone in front of them. Ruby leaned around the tall priestess to see another silver haired person, though this one was a man.

The man standing before them was undoubtedly Warlic, the Blue Mage. He was garbed in flowing, almost regal blue robes, and held a large glowing crystal in a loose grip. His messy silver hair was swept to the side, revealing a pair of firm lilac eyes. Said eyes slowly moved over Ruby's small party, examining each of them. They seemed to linger on her longer than the other two, and an emotion she couldn't identify clouded them for a split second.

Warlic walked forward, his robes fluttering behind him as if he was moving through a powerful wind. He held out a hand for Ruby to shake and said, "You must be Ruby Rose, Celestia has told me much about you." At Ruby's nod, he gestured to himself and said, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am Warlic, the Blue Mage."

"Nice to meet you Warlic," Ruby responded, carefully shifting the eggs into one arm and shaking the offered hand. She then gestured to the brunette and the red moglin, "These guys are Ash and Twilly, a couple friends of mine." As the three greeted one another, Ruby carefully withdrew a note. She handed it the powerful mage and said, "By the way, Cysero wants his rent."

Warlic sighed tiredly and took the note cautiously, subtly poking it with his magic to test for any bizarre enchantments the mad mage may have placed on the scrap of paper. He slid the note into his robes with a somewhat artificial 'thank you' and turned to Ruby.

"I take it you're here to remove the illusion on your dragon egg, correct?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, carrying one of these around is hard enough, the extra three just make things work."

A small smile worked its way onto the relatively impassive face of the mage. "Well you're in luck, thanks to Celestia's presence and advice on what you might need, I've already had time to have my apprentice fetch a tome with information on such a thing for me."

"Apprentice? Who's your apprentice?"

Warlic's face pulled into a small frown, "Her name is Nythera, she's a troublesome child. Much more arrogant and willful than is healthy."

Ruby's eyes widened in understanding, "Oh, her. We ran into her earlier, she was kinda rude."

Warlic nodded tiredly, "Indeed, that girl will be the death of me one of the days, I'm certain of it."

Warlic withdrew an old book and opened to a page decorated in illustrations of complex circles and symbols. "To dispel the illusion that your egg has conjured up, we'll need one of two things, either a powerful magic that is specifically designed to remove illusions, or a creature that has such a magic innately held within it."

"A creature? You don't mean something that eats dragon eggs, do you?" Ruby's voice was laced with concern and protectiveness, already not liking that sounds of where Warlic's plan was going.

"That's exactly what I mean," Warlic said, flipping a few pages, "To dig up a spell designed for the sole purpose of dispelling draconic illusions we would need to waste several months in the tower's library searching for a book that I may or may not have. It is much easier to just go with the summoning spell we did find."

Ruby gave the silver haired man a flat look, "So wait, this isn't the easiest method, just the first one you found?"

"Technically, since it's the first I found, it IS the easiest method."

"That doesn't seem very professional."

Warlic simply shrugged, "Eh, this method of spell usage isn't the most reliable, I've made some rather major mistakes in the past using it. That being said, the last time I did so, the result was everything I could have asked for and more, so things should go just well this time around."

"What did you use this method of problem solving on last time?"

Warlic flipped another page, writing down a list of items and the best areas to find them in, and stayed quiet. Once he finished he handed the list to Ruby, refusing to look her in the eyes and said, "Oh, there was just a man who failed to do what was expected of him. As such, I needed to find a way to rebalance things, that's all."

Ruby looked at him oddly as she took the note but accepted his answer anyway. Looking over the list, her brows furrowed in confusion, "Why would I need this stuff?"

Warlic straightened up and began clearing the room's floor, moving carpets and shelves out of the way, "Summoning requires ritual based spells, as such we'll need a few reagents for it, items intrinsically linked with the target's nature." He then grabbed a piece of chalk and carefully drew a large, neat circle on the floor, checking the book to make sure its dimensions were large enough. "Those will allow us to drag it here, once the creature has been summoned we can allow it to dispel the illusion and then banish it."

"Oh, these are still weird items." Ruby looked over the list, "I mean, why a bag of fish?"

"It probably just likes fish," was the simple answer Warlic gave her as he began drawing smaller circles within the larger, and connecting them with crisscrossing lines. "You can leave those eggs with Celestia while you're out, I'm certain she won't damage any of them."

"Alright, so where do I have to go for all of these things?"

Warlic turned to her and pointed towards a large door, "That door leads to the entrance to my tower, a tent set up in the Elemental Foothills, the areas where each of these can be found lie within that region. Be warned, the elementals of this region are not very fond of humans, not after my apprentice made her rounds and antagonized them all."

Ruby couldn't help the displeased frown that made its way onto her face at that, "Why do I get the feeling that Nythera is behind a lot of the problems I'll be dealing with in the future?"

Warlic simply shrugged and said, "Probably because she will be, that girl's been a troublemaker for years now."

* * *

Five hours later Ruby, Ash, and Twilly all stumbled back into the red tent that acted as the portal to Warlic's half of the Mages' Tower. All three of them were beaten up and tired, and were sporting proof of their not-so-spectacular adventure in glorified shopping.

Ash was smoking like his namesake, having been set aflame more times than he could count when they had entered an active volcano to obtain an item known as 'Fire Yarn.' As impressive as the small group agreed that the string-like coalescence of fire was, it was hardly worth nearly falling into an active lava flow.

The cave had been filled with Fire Elementals and animated globs of living lava. Needless to say, it took all of the three's efforts to not wind up as charred piled on the ground. It was against those foes that the party experienced their first major loss, Ruby was still grieving over the hilt of the melted Steel Sword she had brought into battle.

After they had obtained the Fire Yarn, the trio had moved onto the next item, Indestructible Litter. They had entered a mercifully-not-on-fire cave and had enjoyed the cool, moist air. Then they were assailed by hordes of Earth Elementals and Dirt Beetles. Ruby lost her Steel Daggers within the cave when they were bent out of shape by the giant animate Stone Head that had attacked them from within the cave's depths. Ruby had taken no small amount of pleasure in gathering up the golem's remains in a small pouch before moving on to the next item.

They had then had to find their way onto a floating island, a task that had taken longer than actually exploring the cave did. After finally managing to braid several vines and other plants together to create an organic rope, the three had pulled themselves up the island and found, surprise surprise, _another_ cave.

The trio carved their way through the cave, tearing through the Windwasps and Wind Elementals that made the cav their home. The enemies were mercifully not made of things that would degrade or break Ruby's precious weapons. After a battle with a large, living tornado claiming to be a 'Primary Elemental,' a battle that resulted in Ash learning to fly and Ruby getting a small pouch of herbs that smelt somewhat like mint.

With the bag of 'Windnip,' as Warlic had the herbs listed, Ruby, Ash, and Twilly were left with one item left. One item that was circled in red with several 'Hey! This is important!' arrows pointed at it. Fish.

After groaning at the bizarrely simplistic and mundane requirement the trio had made their way to the small river that flowed from a nearby waterfall. Naturally, the seemingly simple task of fishing was the most difficult part of their mini-adventure.

Ruby managed to hook a small, teal creature with a thick, turtle like shell and many long sharp teeth. Their short battle with the small water lizard was then crashed by a much larger one, which could have only been its mother. After a long downriver battle with the ferocious, angry monster, which Ruby had jokingly called 'Splashy,' they reached a waterlogged cave.

Now trapped between a rock and a really sharp and painful place, Ruby and Ash went all out against the rampaging monster while Twilly healed them from afar. Their fight, which involved the horrifying revelation that Splashy's tongue came equipped with just as many as the mouth itself, the equally horrifying revelation that said teeth were capable of biting through metal, and the revelation that protective seamonster mothers are capable of breaking the sound barrier at will when angry, finally ended when Ash managed to distract the monster long enough for Ruby to cook its head from the inside-out by stabbing Firebrand deep into its skull.

With their rampaging adversary finally dealt with, Twilly took the time to properly heal his human companions while Ash worked on fishing and Ruby pried a couple of teeth out of the Splashy's mouth and strapped them to the hilts that one held her Steel Daggers. While she was disappointed that her works were being destroyed one by one, she was somewhat glad that they acted as proof that some time in a forge would probably net her a pair of real good daggers, though the current makeshift ones would have to do for the time being.

And that led to their current position, collapsed on the floor right in the entrance of Warlic's tower, smoking, sopping, and all around beaten and tired. As Celestia moved to check on the fallen trio, Warlic strolled over and held out his hand expectantly. Ruby grumbled about demanding mages not letting her rest and handed him the small pouches.

The Blue Mage looked through the pouches' contents, lips quirking slightly upwards, "Hmm, yep, these are in good enough condition to perform the ritual. I should have it prepared in an hour, feel free to rest up until then." With that, the man strolled out of the room, robes swishing behind him as he went.

Ruby watched him go as Celestia picked up Twilly and carried him over to a couch, "Man, that guy's got the 'mysterious and aloof' thing down, doesn't he?"

Celestia giggled as she reached down to help Ruby up off the floor, "He does, doesn't he." She then grew somewhat contemplative and added, "Try not to hold it against him though, Warlic tends to try to keep himself emotionally distant from people."

Ruby cocked her head in confusion, "Any idea why?"

Celestia shook her head dismissively, "I believe I know exactly why he does it, though it is not my place to share. Perhaps he'll tell you himself, one day."

Ruby shrugged, "If you say so."

Ruby crashed into a chair near the long wooden table Warlic used for eating, and instantly found a steaming cup of tea placed in front of her. Ash received much the same treatment when he staggered over to the table and collapsed into a chair.

The two thanked Celestia and drank from their respective cups, Ash sighing in relief as he drank the calming blend, Ruby gagging and asking for sugar as the bitter liquid affronted her tastebuds. The two sat quietly, enjoying the feeling of peace after their long and dangerous moneyless shopping trip.

The quiet atmosphere was only disrupted by the light clinking of ceramic as the Dragon Priestess went through cup after cup of tea, seemingly putting away enough of the bitter beverage to drown a small animal. Or Twilly.

Eventually Ruby interrupted the silence with a question, "Hey Celestia, why did you ask me to get the dragon egg for you when we first met? I mean, I'm fairly young and all I didn't really do anything impressive."

Celestia took another draft of her tea before sighing, "You simply seemed like the best person for the job. You had the wits to beat a stronger opponent who wielded superior numbers, you had the tenacity to continue fighting even after getting injured, and you had the compassion to help guide Twilly and myself through the forest. I didn't doubt that you would do your best to accomplish the task, and I don't doubt that you can accomplish the next I ask of you."

"The next?"

"Indeed," Celestia turned to Ruby, setting down her cup of tea and crossing her hands on the table, "I know that it is a lot to ask, especially of one as young as you, but would you please take care of the dragon egg, and to raise the hatchling that's inside it? I need someone who is both strong and caring to do so, and you are the best, and only, option."

Ruby grew thoughtful, before nodding, "Alright, I'll do it. I've already grown attached to the egg anyway. But, what did you mean by me being the 'only option?'"

Instead of answering, Celestia's eyes narrowed somewhat in concern, "What do you mean by 'grown attached?'"

Ruby grew somewhat embarrassed, "Oh, you know, I've been defensive of it, really determined to get it no matter what, stuff like that."

Ash snorted into his tea, "You also butchered a Vultragon for it."

Celestia looked surprised, "You 'butchered' it?"

"Y-yeah," Ruby looked away in shame, "I don't know why, but the thought that the Vultragon was going to stand in between me and _my_ egg just, angered me."

Celestia abruptly stood up from the table, "I just remembered that I needed to ask Warlic something before the summoning. Please be sure to have Twilly heal your wounds when he wakes up." With that, the white garbed woman quickly made her way out of the room.

Ruby and Ash shared a confused glance before the brunette returned to his tea. Ruby stood, considering going after the retreating priestess, but decided it would be rude and sat back down. She turned to Ash and asked, "Any idea what that was about?"

Ash shook his head, "Eh, it was probably just something to do with arrangements for the egg. We don't exactly know how to take care of one, after all."

Ruby nodded in acceptance, "That's a good point, I probably can't just wrap it in my torn up cloak anytime I think it needs to be warm."

And so, the two friends sat in a comfortable silence, waiting for their furry, red healer to awaken so that they could prepare for the summoning. Ruby meanwhile pulled out her makeshift daggers and went to work lightly reinforcing them so that they wouldn't break if she needed to use them.

* * *

Celestia made her way to Warlic, who was currently assembling the gathered reagents on the summoning circle, along with the four eggs Ruby brought with her. He looked up to her approaching form, a neutral look on his face. When she opened her mouth to speak, Warlic simply cut her off with a "So you've realized what's going on."

Celestia narrowed her eyes, "You knew what was happening to her, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me this would happen?"

Warlic shrugged noncommittally, "Because I knew you'd never agree to this plan if you knew the effects it would have, or the measures that we'll have to take to prevent them from worsening."

Celestia frowned, glaring at the Blue Mage, "Of course I'd have refused. You can't just alter a person's nature like that!"

Warlic turned to face her fully, his face taking on the look of a scolding parent, "I warned you all those years ago that we'd be unable to find a perfect replacement, and that the one we chose would need to adapt to bond with the hatchling." When Celestia tried to argue some more, Warlic held up a hand and said, "That's not to say she'll be lost, with a new person wearing her face. The countermeasure I've devised should be enough for the two to fully bond without to much more of the hatchling's nature bleeding into her own."

Celestia continued glaring, "Somehow that doesn't convince me that your 'countermeasure' is entirely ethical."

Warlic went back to working on the magic circle, "It isn't, I'm certain you'll vehemently disagree with it once you learn what it is," lavender eyes turned back to meet her own, "however, I'm certain you're also aware that this is our only hope. Fusing a girl's fate to that of another, while cruel, is most likely better than leaving her without one at all."

Celestia sighed tiredly, "I know that, but still. I just wish we didn't have to do this, especially not to a child."

Warlic agreed, his face sagging slightly and taking on the airs of man far older than he appeared, "Indeed. The best we can do is guide her along the way and hope that her eventual future is a happy one." When Celestia didn't say anything, and instead continued looking down in shame, Warlic walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Besides, we've already prevented the child from meeting one unfortunate fate, the most we can do for ripping her from her family is continue to guide her away from others."

Celestia nodded sadly, "Yeah, you're right. I don't like it, but her life depends on this just as much as everyone else's." She turned to walk back to the room that Ruby, Ash, and Twilly rested in, "Should I tell her just what resides in her dragon egg?"

Warlic smirked slightly, "You should, just remember that what she wants from her dragon, and what said dragon wants for itself, may not be what fate has dictated, as well as that fate's decrees aren't as unavoidable as people think."

* * *

A while later, Celestia returned to the dining room and flashed Ruby, Ash, and the now awake Tilly a small, strained smile. "Warlic says that the ritual should be ready in a short while, I hope you've rested up enough."

Ruby stretched her arms, leaning back from Makeshift Seafangs and cracking her joints, "Yeah, once Twilly woke up he was able to get us back into top form. We're ready for whatever he throws at us."

Ash nodded as he cleaned his Longsword with a cloth Ruby had given him, "I dunno about that. We all nearly died just getting those items. I don't wanna think about how dangerous the thing he's summoning is."

Ruby scoffed slightly, "Come on Ash, we nearly died fighting a giant water monster that came completely out of nowhere, I'm certain that our summon won't be as strong as that thing."

Celestia looked at Ruby in concern, "Don't underestimate your opponents, Ruby. We're talking about a creature that preys on dragons. Even hatchlings can be dangerous in their own right, so their predators are much the same."

Ruby pouted at the fact that she was getting scolded, but otherwise accepted the Dragon Priestess's words.

The group completed their preparations in relative silence, Ruby and Ash making sure their protective gear was in place, and not about to break under a strong blow, Ruby once again making sure her remaining weapons weren't about to break, and Twilly making sure his staff was still properly channeling magic.

Once they were done, Celestia led them back down the hall to where Warlic had set up the magic circle. When they entered, they saw Warlic standing a short ways from the circle with white energy flowing around him. He opened a single eye to look at the trio, his lavender locking onto Ruby's silver, "Ah, you're here. Good, then I can activate the ritual. Please stand back until the creature has been summoned, and has identified the dragon egg. Once it has begun dispelling the illusion, that is when you must strike. Understood?"

Ruby, ASh, and Twilly nodded while Celestia carefully walked to the back of the room, not wanting to get caught up in the fight. Once everyone was in position, Warlic jabbed his staff forward, the sturdy wooden rod struck the magic circle, allowing the energy that was flowing around Warlic to flow into the circle.

The chalk lines that comprised the ritual's medium glowed a bright white before switching to an ominous dark purple. A seething mass of darkness seeped from the lines, coalescing into a blob of shadows in the center of the circle.

Ruby gripped her Firebrand tightly, arms and legs braced for the ensuing conflict as the shadowy blob slowly took shape. And then all that tension melted from her body as the she took in the form of Warlic's summon.

It took all of Ruby's willpower to not dash over and hug the large, black cat that had materialized in the center of the no longer glowing chalk circle. It's dark, fluffy fur, big yellow eyes, bizarrely humanesque grin of spiky teeth. It was the definition of adorable, and Ruby made sure everyone was aware of that fact.

Warlic held out a hand in front of the starstruck redhead, "Do not be deceived, the Doomkitten is ferocious beast that should not be underestimated."

Naturally, Warlic's warning had little effect on her, "Doomkitten!? That name's as adorable as the thing itself." She stared at it, enraptured by the creature's cuteness. "I wanna hug it."

"Don't. It's not a real kitten, but rather an otherworldly abomination that takes that form to appear unassuming. Get close to the Doomkitten without immense caution, and your life will be forfeit." The Blue Mage narrowed his eyes as the Doomkitten ambled towards one of the four eggs and sniffed it, "Now pay attention, a moment's hesitation could be disastrous."

Ruby focused her eyes on the Doomkitten, trying to put the creature's cuteness out of her mind. She watched as the black furred animal moved away from the first egg and began investigating the second. It sniffed around the egg, absently brushing up against it.

Deciding that the second egg wasn't what it was looking for, the Doomkitten then made its way to the third. After a few seconds of sniffing, the Doomkitten's unearthly grin widened as its yellow eyes began to glow. A low, pleased purr escaped from the small form as it began magically dispelling the egg's illusion to confirm its nature.

Warlic threw his arm out, gesturing towards the monster. "Now! Banish the Doomkitten before it tries to devour the egg!"

Ruby shouted out a simple 'On it!' as she dived towards the Doomkitten, Firebrand firmly in her grasp. As she moved, she shouted back to Ash, "I'll distract it, you grab the egg and get it out of harm's way!"

Ash shouted a "Got it!" at Ruby as he ran around the side of the magic circle, watching as the Doomkitten turned its attention away from the dragon egg to glare at the human who dared interrupt its meal.

The Doomkitten's eyes lit up with malicious glee as its whole body convulsed, a hole in the fabric of space tearing open, and three massive spears made of twisted human bones speared towards Ruby. The redhead dived out of the way as the boney spears stabbed straight through the stone floor, sticking easily in the firm masonry.

Ruby swept her Firebrand at the immobile cat, slashing her fiery blade into its dark fur. The Doomkitten shrugged off the blow, its fur not showing any signs of being singed.

It then lunged forward, sinking its fangs into Ruby's leg, causing her to cry out in pain as the stark white teeth easily slid through her leather armor. Ruby kicked her foot forward, dislodging the monster and eliciting a surprised screech from the monster.

It easily landed on its feet, large yellow eyes locked onto its target with manic glee, and teeth dripping with blood. It's body convulsed again, eyes lighting up with eldritch magic. Ruby dived out of the way, letting out a surprised yelp as a massive cage filled with unspeakable horrors crashed into her earlier position, before slowly being drawn back into the void it had been summoned from.

Ruby once again stabbed at the Doomkitten, landing several strong slashes on its furry hide. However, it once again acted as if all she was doing was slapping it with a flyswatter. It growled at her before opening its mouth, stretching its jaws far further than should be physically possible, and launched a ball of darkness at Ruby.

Ruby pumped mana into her Firebrand, feeling the flames heat her hands as the enchanted weapon flew into action. She launched a gout of flames at the Doomkitten, and watched as her flames impacted the shadowy attack. Ruby grinned as the light from the flames cut through the shadows, but then screamed in pain as another Bone Spear barrelled down at her, slashing through her shoulder and leaving a line of bloody flesh.

Ruby dived aside as several more Bone Spears flew from behind the dying wall of flames, each one aimed to be more accurate than the first on. Soon, the Doomkitten itself joined the barrage, teeth once again primed to sink into her skin.

Ruby cursed as her dodge resulted in the Doomkitten sinking its fangs into the floor, easily taking a chunk out of the masonry without dealing any noticeable damage to the feline itself.

Ruby and the Doomkitten charged each other, one's mouth set in a determined line, the other's in a demented grin. Ruby's Firebrand met the Doomkitten's fangs, sparks flew as the two scraped across one another. Ruby's attempt to launch more fire into the monster's mouth resulted in it swallowing the fire and grinning at her evilly.

Convulsing again, the Doomkitten launched another barrage of Bone Spears, causing Ruby to instinctively dodge. Ruby swung around in shock when Ash cried out in pain, and her eyes widened in horror when she saw a spear burrow through his leg, pinning him to the ground. He accidently released the dragon egg, causing it to roll across the rug that Warlic had rolled up against the wall.

Silver eyes met yellow as Ruby and the Doomkitten launched themselves towards the fallen item. As they approached, Ruby stuck her leg out, striking the Doomkitten in the side of the face. In retaliation, it convulsed slightly and called down another cage, nearly crushing Ruby. While she narrowly avoided the attack, her Firebrand received a glancing blow and was launched from her grip.

Without missing a beat, Ruby withdrew her Makeshift Seafangs from their rough sheathes. The daggers were imperfect and their craftsmanship was shoddy, but they would have to do. Soon the two clashed again, the Doomkitten trying to bite into Ruby's leg to disrupt her movement. She met its fangs with two of her own, driving the Makeshift Seafangs into its side.

Unlike earlier attacks that were easily brushed off, the Doomkitten yowled in pain and recoiled as the sharp teeth pierced into its side. The monster's side bled a dark, smoke-like miasma that writhed like the tendrils of an otherworldly demon. Its bright yellow eyes glared at her hatefully as it hissed at her, caution finally lighting up in its eyes.

The two stared down at each other as Ruby slowly moved towards the egg while keeping her eyes trained on the feline. She only took her eyes off it for a split second to check up on Ash, who being healed by Twilly after the brunette managed to dislodge the Bone Spear from his leg.

That second was all it took for the Doomkitten to spring into action. It launched itself towards the dragon egg, jaws wide open to devour the object, shell and all. Ruby shouted in shock, diving towards the egg in order to push it out of the way of the hungry monster. The two reached the egg at roughly the same time, Ruby's arm impacting the egg and pushing it to the side as jaws tried to clamp down on it.

An settling crunch rang out through the area as stark white fangs struck the side of the egg, cracks spreading down the side of the egg as clear fluid began to leak from the wider lines. An equally loud crunch emanated from Ruby's arm, which took the brunt of the bite, teeth sliding into her limb and splitting bone.

All eyes locked onto the small intersection, wide with horror, all eyes except four. Pale lavender stared impassively, and wide yellow with sadistic glee. Ruby's horrified eyes wouldn't leave the damaged dragon egg, slowly tracing the lines of damage down the eggs side, and soaking in the slowly gathering trails of fluid that the unhatched baby needed to live.

Silver eyes slowly moved to lock with yellow. A low, unnatural glow seemed to come from under their surface as the met. Yellow eyes widened in surprise as a feeling bubbled up within Ruby.

And then grew.

And grew.

 _And grew._

And then, a roar that could shatter continents ripped through her throat, tearing the vocal cords that were pushed beyond their limits to create such a noise. A rage that could burn worlds exploded from within her, filling her with power.

She tore the Doomkitten from its spot, still frozen with its teeth lodged firmly within her arm, and launched it into a wall. Before the feline could land, Ruby threw herself onto it, right arm stabbing a Makeshift Seafang into its dark hide while her left hung limply from her body.

Yowls of pain echoed through the room as more smoke-like miasma poured from the cat-shaped eldritch abomination. It convulsed, sending a wave of Bone Spears at its assailant. Ruby ignored them as the tore into her flesh, instead focusing on crushing the monster before her.

Blood and darkness splattered the area as Ruby dived at the creature and drove her Makeshift Seafang into its skull, dislodging the tooth from its hilt. The Doomkitten went still, its body slackening from the damage, before finally dissolving into a puddle of darkness that proceeded to leap into the air, vanishing into a dark portal.

Ruby sat there for a second, panting, before stumbling over to the dragon egg. Twilly was right behind her, panickedly asking if she was alright while trying to heal her worst wounds, though the redhead didn't seem to hear him.

She nearly collapsed onto her knees, picking up the egg and cradling it into her chest as more of the nutrient rich fluids leaked from within, taking with them the unhatched dragon's lifeforce. She stumbled backwards onto the edge of the magic circle Warlic had used, before finally falling into its boundaries.

Celestia desperately moved to help her and to check on the egg, but Warlic held her back. When she turned to yell at the mage, he simply pointed at the girl and said, "Watch."

Ruby held onto the egg, desperately chanting "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead," trying to think of some way, anyway, to fix the damages done to _her_ egg. She subconsciously began trying to use her mana to do something, anything that might work.

As she did, several lines within the circle lit up with a red light, responding to the influx of magic into them. Ruby was promptly surrounded by the red energy, which soon took on a silvery hue. The energy that wreathed her soon began to move towards the egg, enveloping it and bathing it in a red and silver glow.

Ruby failed to notice the new light show, being too preoccupied by the sudden feeling of tearing deep within her. She let out a pained cry as she felt something being forcefully torn from her, like a piece of her very existence was dislodged and pulled away. Her vision grew dark as a feeling of warmth replaced the pain, and ushered her into the haze of unconsciousness.

* * *

Warlic looked on as Celestia ran up to Ruby and the egg, Twilly doing the same as Ash limped behind him. While they fussed over the injured redhead, he bent down to examine the dragon egg that Ruby had released when she fell unconscious. He examined the dark red shell of the egg, smiling lightly as he trailed fingers over the smooth, no longer cracked surface. The egg was a deep red color, with bright silver arcs trailing over it, standing out brilliantly against the darker background.

He gently pushed some mana into the egg, getting a feel for the dragon's own magic. Upon feeling a healthy pulse of magic in return, one tempered with a new energy, he smiled.

Turning back to the group who was working making sure Ruby didn't die, he said, "Grab her and follow me, I've got a room with medical supplies for things like this. As the group carefully lifted Ruby, Twilly still working on stopping her bleeding, Warlic smiled sadly.

While this certainly wasn't something he enjoyed doing, the fact that everything went according to plan was quite comforting for him, even if it wasn't the most ethical course of action.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Birth of a Hero (End)

**AN: Hello again, and welcome back to Ruby's Lore! I'm back in a decent mood, and only slightly miffed about my school's General Tso's chicken being chicken nuggets with sauce, so unless tests start beating me up, uploads should once again be weekly.**

 **Thanks for the review guisniperman, I can always rely on you to talk to me.**

 **Guisniperman: Of course Nythera still needs to get her teeth kicked in, she's a moody half-dragon teenager with dangerous magic, being a pain in the neck is entirely expected. As for "Silver-Eyed Dragons" well, things won't be quite so simple. The dragon didn't gain the power of silver eyes so much as he got a portion of it when Ruby accidentally ripped her soul. As such, it'll be nerfed for the both of them, and they'll only be able to access the full power of it in a manner similar to Primal skills, though not in exactly the same way. And who teaches primal skills other than Elysia, the apprentice Dragon Priestess with a knack for pulling out someone's inner power, and silver eyes of her own?**

 **I apologize about this chapter. It got kinda, expositiony, on me. Things will be picking up soon in energy, though probably not in upload speed. In between a writing assignment being due soon and Mogloween the Thirteenth being this Friday, I'll be rather busy. Really can't wait to see what kind of mess it becomes this year, these are always some of the best ingame events.**

 **Without further ado, let's get on with the fic!**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

The darkness that encompassed her was soothing. Its cool energies flowing over her, soothing the searing pain in her soul. The pain that burned, scratched, and pulled like an open wound being cauterized to stem the flow of blood.

Ruby looked around, eyes trailing over the endless void that surrounded her, desperately searching for anything that may tell her where she was, and how she got there. Eventually, her eyes found a shape that stood out as a spot against the darkness.

A strange, blazing shadow erupted from the nothingness, sparks of silver energy bursting from the center. The silver seemed to spread across the shadow, dulling from a brilliant hue to a faded grey that stood out amongst the shadow's form, but not as starkly as before. As the silver receded, red sparks flared from the shadow, giving it a reddish-black tone.

As she stared at the shadow, the pulling aspect of her pain intensified, causing Ruby to look down at herself. Rather than the expected view of her leather armor or casual clothing, Ruby was met with an amorphous crimson blob, a brilliant silver of its own flowing throughout it. Much like with the dark shadow, the silver light seemed to lose some of its brilliance, dimming to the same brilliance of the red that made up the rest of her form.

Ruby was transfixed by the beautiful light show that seemed to have replaced her body. She simply stood, or more appropriately floated, there, staring at the bright red, as the ever changing silver flows moved through it. She moved her sights down her odd form, until something new caught her eye.

A small amount of black, much like the shadow she had observed earlier, slowly shifted across her core, spreading out and lightening up to a dull grey. The shadow that shifted across her body formed sharp, jagged patterns as it moved, contrasting to the softer, curved patterns that the silver.

Her curiosity piqued, Ruby tried to touch the odd shadow that flowed across her. While she to actually move, her arms not responding to any commands, she still felt a sensation akin to contact on her form. The instant she did so, the pain she felt spiked, a wave of incomprehensible emotions crashing over her. Ruby instantly recoiled, causing the sensation to recede.

Wary about instigating that sensation again, Ruby tore her attention away from herself to once again examine the blazing shadow, that was still erupting in its original position. As Ruby approached it, a feeling of power washed over her. It felt fierce, dangerous, and aggressive.

Despite those less than pleasant sensations, Ruby moved closer, reaching out to the shadow. When she brushed against it, the pain flared up again, and the sensations that the shadow emanated like heat increased several fold. However, with those sensations amplified, Ruby could feel other aspects of the shadow, a sense of defiance, a firm resilience, and curiosity all bubbled beneath the surface of the shadow.

Eventually, Ruby pulled back. She watched the blazing shadow some more, as it flared and flickered in the endless void. As she was no longer touching the flames, nor her own form, the pain diluted to a dull throb, and the pulling sensation lessened. Ruby wondered what the shadow was, and tried to voice that thought aloud, only to find herself incapable of speaking.

Her eyebrows would have furrowed in confusion, had she had those either, but Ruby quickly determined that wherever she was, she apparently hadn't taken her body with her. That led to her next thought, 'Was she dead?'

It would make sense, after all. The last thing she remembered was fighting the Doomkitten, rushing to dragon egg, and then an unholy tearing sensation within her. But at the same time, if she was dead then what was he shadow, and why was she alone? Wouldn't the land of the dead have more dead than just herself?

These questions whirled around the head she couldn't seem to locate as she tried to figure out what was going on. As she mentally took stock of everything she knew and attempted to determine what sort of situation she was in, an intense feeling of vertigo overtook her. Ruby felt the darkness swirl around her, until it was absorbed by a bright light that engulfed her surroundings. Ruby lost sight of the darkness, the shadow, and even herself, as the light swallowed her.

* * *

When Ruby awoke, the first thing she noticed was that she was in a good deal of pain. The second was that she had her arms wrapped around a large, red object with silver patterns stretching across its surface. The third was that she was wrapped in bandages and blankets while lying on some sort of couch.

Ruby slowly sat up, cradling the large, oblong item to her chest. She looked down at it and, upon realizing what its shape and size were a match with, quickly began to check over it. Her hands patted down every inch of the large egg, searching for any crack, crevice, or pocket that would indicate it was damaged in anyway. When she couldn't find any, Ruby sighed in relief and wrapped her arms back around its form.

She slowly slid her legs off the couch, wincing as pain lanced through her body. She carefully lifted herself onto her feet and looked around the room she had woken up in. It appeared to be a study of some sort, as there were bookshelves lining two of the walls, and a large desk positioned at the third. Several large books were opened on the desk, and an inkwell was placed next to them along with a blank sheet of paper and a quill.

Ruby took a few steps forward to find her legs brushing against something soft. She looked down to find herself garbed in a set of simple white robes, similar to those Priestess Celestia wears, though less ornate.

After going over the clothes that someone had put her in, Ruby stumbled over to the door, balancing her egg in one arm so that she could open the wooden barrier. Once she entered the hallway, the sounds and smells of food preparation greeted her from a few doors down to her left.

Ruby followed her nose to the kitchen area, greeting Warlic who was sat the large wooden table, his staff glowing as various cooking implements floated around the kitchen. Warlic returned her greeting, never looking up from the tome he had opened in front of him. She sat in one of the wooden chairs surrounding the table, gently setting her egg in her lap, before looking around the room.

Upon noticing that no one but her and Warlic were present, Ruby asked, "Where's the others? Are they not up yet?"

Warlic shook his head, "No, they're awake. As a matter of fact it's already half-past noon. I sent Ash back to Falconreach to rest, and Celestia left a little while ago to prepare an artifact of hers so that you can use it to help protect your dragon egg."

"Oh, okay." Ruby sat at the table, watching as the kitchen implements floated around the room, and thinking quietly to herself. Now that things had calmed down, a question that she had felt buzzing under the surface since arriving in the Elemental Foothills managed to find its way to the forefront of her mind.

"Hey Warlic," she started, getting the attention of the Blue Mage, "Do you think you could help me with something?"

A single, silver eyebrow rose at her question, "That depends on what it is you need help with."

Ruby took a deep breath, "Well, I was hoping you could help me find my way back home. You see, I don't really come from Greenguard, I come from a place called Patch, but I don't know how to get back." At Warlic's questioning gaze, she clarified, "I don't know how to get back because I fell through some sort of 'rift.' Or, I think that's what it was. I fell through it and wound up in Oaklore." Once she finished her story, Ruby asked again, "So, think you could help with that?"

Warlic looked down at his book thoughtfully, "Perhaps, perhaps not. While I am capable of creating rifts, they put a lot of strain on me. Combine that with the fact that I don't know where this 'Patch' is, or how far away it is, creating a rift there is iffy at best."

Ruby looked down sadly, "Oh, okay. Thanks anyway."

Warlic sighed, "I didn't say I wouldn't try." Ruby looked back up with hope in her silver eyes. "It will take some time, and I'll need to sample some of your magic to see if it houses any environmental factors native to your homeland, but I should be able to devise a way to help you out eventually."

"Really?" Ruby's voice was filled with hope, the idea of reuniting with her family seeming far closer than it had in years, "If you need any help from me with it, I'll give it. I really want to see my family again," she looked down, a profound sadness in her eyes, "It's already been so long that I've begun forgetting what they look and sound like, I don't want to forget anything else about them."

Warlic patted the redhead's shoulder comfortingly, "Just know that even if you never do make it back to your homeland, you will still have a home here in Greenguard. Your presence has already had a profound impact on those around you, after all."

Ruby allowed a small smile to come to her face, "Thanks Warlic. For a hermit, you're pretty good at motivational speeches."

Warlic sighed, "I'm not a complete hermit, you know. I have an apprentice, and friends, and whatever Cysero is."

Ruby smirked, "Then where are they? Out? Looks like you're a hermit then."

Warlic gave her a joking glare, "You're here, aren't you? The only way for me to be a hermit is if you're a home invader."

Ruby frowned, "I'm not a home invader. If anything, I'm just an uninvited guest."

"I'm quite certain that's the same thing. Unless you're referring to a pest infestation."

Ruby pouted playfully, "I'm not a pest either."

With her mood sufficiently lifted, Warlic magically sent a plate of food over to Ruby, receiving a hearty "Thank you" in return. While she ate, Warlic went back to his book, looking over the research that had been stored within its ancient pages.

The two sat silently like that for a while, one eating and the other reading, until a newcomer disrupted the silence. "Tch, you're still here?" The punk-goth apprentice of Warlic ambled into the room, sneering slightly at Ruby as she did so. "And here I was hoping you'd have left with that idiot earlier."

"Behave, Nythera," Warlic scolded, not even looking up from his reading, "Ruby is our guest, and Ash was our guest. You should show some courtesy from time to time."

"And don't call Ash an idiot," Ruby grumbled, "He's a nice guy."

Nythera scoffed, "Being nice and being stupid aren't mutually exclusive." She grabbed a plate of food from what Warlic had prepared on the counter, and sat at the table, "Besides, I think it's perfectly courteous to tell people exactly what I think of them. Better than just lying and saying you like someone."

"It really wouldn't kill you to just try and be nice," Ruby said.

Nythera rolled her eyes, "And it wouldn't kill you to be a bit more rude and assertive, now would it? I'm not a nice person, so I won't pretend to be, simple as that." Nythera took a large bite of her food before grunting, "This could be a lot better you know."

Warlic sighed, "If you want professional quality food, then learn how to make it yourself. I make what I can."

"Or I could just make a professional chef serve me. That would be both easier, and more efficient."

Ruby gave Nythera a flat look, "That would also be an awful thing to do."

"So is not giving someone what's rightfully theirs," Nythera gave Warlic a dark glare, "But someone at this table seems prone to doing just that."

"You're claims of being willing to enslave people just so you can eat good food is proof enough that you're not ready to have your magic unsealed," Warlic said boredly, evidently having had this conversation before, "Until you can learn to act like a decent person on a semi-regular basis, I'm not going to return your magic."

Nythera growled, "I was when I was a kid and my magic was sealed in the first place, wasn't I?"

Warlic gave her a flat look, "You blew up your parents' lab, turned a group of children into box obsessed goblins, many of whom were never turned back, and enraged every elemental in the Foothills to the point where they still attack random travelers. I wouldn't describe that as being decent."

Ruby glared at Nythera, "Are you saying that half of the things that attacked me yesterday, only did so because Nythera ticked them off?"

Nythera crossed her arms defiantly, "So what? I wanted a boxfort, my parents shouldn't have left me behind, and those elementals should have just given me what I asked for. I did nothing wrong."

Ruby looked at her, "Sounds to me like you did everything wrong."

"And who asked YOU for your opinion," Nythera groused, "The answer is no one, no one did. So shut up."

Nythera's head snapped back when a wooden spoon slapped her on the forehead. "That's enough, Nythera," Warlic scolded, his voice hardening somewhat, "You're parents entrusted you to me because you were a selfish, unruly child with the hopes that I could straighten you out. Ruby is entirely right when she said that what you did is wrong, and you should try listening to her." He met Nythera's hard glare with his own steady gaze, "Perhaps you should listen to others' thoughts, learn to see things from the perspective of people who aren't you."

Nythera abruptly stood up, "Tch, as if I wanna hear shit like that from someone like you." She turned her glare on Ruby, "You'll eventually figure out why that thought process of yours is stupid, and when you do, don't come crying to me." With her piece said, the teen stomped out of the room, not so quietly cursing the pair as she went.

Once she was out of earshot, Warlic sighed "Sorry about my apprentice, she has a few dozen attitude problems."

"I can tell," Ruby groaned, "Why did you take her on anyway?"

Warlic looked out the window thoughtfully, "Not only was I friends with her parents, but I saw a lot of potential in her. I knew that she could be a great mage if she received the proper training, and a great person with the proper guidance." He then sighed, "Unfortunately, it seems that she won't learn to think for those who aren't herself without something drastic happening."

Warlic then stood up, tucking his tome under his arm, "Well, I'd better return to my studies, there are a few different topics and theories I need to go over before I can even start on your issue, so I'd better start now." He walked towards the room's exit, "Feel free to make yourself at home. I've already magically mended your armor, and placed it along with your weapons in the bag you brought with you. It should be by the couch you slept on."

Ruby nodded, finishing the food on her plate, "Thanks Warlic. For everything so far." The Blue Mage nodded, though he didn't turn back to look at her, "Should I head out soon, or wait for Celestia?"

Warlic hummed in thought, "You should wait for Celestia, she'll have much less trouble locating you later if you stay here for the time being." With that, the silver haired man swept out of the room, robes billowing dramatically.

"I wonder what kind of magic does that," Ruby wondered aloud, "And if I can get a cloak that does the same thing?"

* * *

A few hours later, Celestia returned to the Mages' Tower, a happy smile on her face. She greeted Ruby warmly, "Hello Ruby, glad to see you're up."

Ruby nodded, smiling widely, "Thanks, it's nice to see you too." She paused for a second before asking, "Are you the one who gave me these robes?"

Celestia nodded, "Yep, I figured you couldn't rest in your armor, so I grabbed a pair of old robes of mine from back when I was still training to be a priestess. I hope you don't mind."

Ruby shook her head, "No, I don't mind at all. Thanks for giving me them, they're pretty comfortable." Ruby proceeded to stumble a bit on the hem, "I'm not very good at walking in them though. Much more use to just wearing pants instead."

Celestia giggled, "My apprentice, her name is Elysia by the way, is much the same. Though she's a bit clumsier than you."

Ruby tilted her head in confusion, "You've got an apprentice? What's she like?"

Celestia chuckled a bit, "I'd tell you, but we'll need to stop by my home in Sunbreeze Grove later to finish making sure your dragon egg receives everything it needs to hatch healthily, so you can just meet her there."

Ruby shrugged, "Well, alright then. I just hope she's nothing like Nythera."

Celestia tutted disapprovingly, "Now Ruby, just because the girl has some minor behaviour problems doesn't mean you speak rudely of her. She just needs some proper guidance is all."

Ruby looked at her disbelievingly, "She didn't seem like someone who could just be taught to not be a jerk."

Celestia just shrugged her off, "Doesn't matter what she seems like. She's a good person deep down, and I'm certain she'll prove it one day."

"If you say so," Ruby sighed, "Either way, she's certainly not the most pleasant person to be around right now."

Celestia stopped outside the door to Warlic's study, "Do you mind preparing to leave while I speak with Warlic?" When Ruby shook her head negatively, Celestia smiled and said, "Alright then. Meet up with me the entrance to the tower in about half an hour. Warlic's already set up a portal between here and Sunbreeze Grove. Give him enough time, and he should be able to connect the portal to Falconreach as well."

"Wait, I thought that rifts were temporary?"

"Not a rift, a portal," Celestia corrected, "Rifts are temporary tears in the fabric of space that connect two locations, usually from great distances. Portals are contained holes that are created and sustained by magical arrays. They need recharging every now and then, but are otherwise easy enough to keep around."

"Huh, so why does anyone create rifts? Aren't portals better?"

"Nope. Rifts are good if you don't want anything following you, or going through without your permission. You also need to set up arrays at both sides of a portal, so they can only be opened by someone who already has access to both destinations. Portals are also more reliable than rifts, they usually don't close or collapse without external cause, and won't throw you as far off during a miscast."

Ruby soaked in the impromptu lesson, nodding along with Celestia's mini-lecture. She would have jotted down notes, had she had paper on hand, or any real talent for magic. Unfortunately, she had neither, so she settled for just hoping that she would remember enough that she could make use of it later.

Celestia smiled at her, "You know a surprising amount about rifts though. Especially since they're not something most mages like to make use of."

Ruby nodded, "Well yeah, rifts are basically the only clue I have on how I got to Greenguard, and how I can get home. It only makes sense for me to read up on them."

Celestia visibly winced at her words, "It must be hard, being so far away from your family."

Ruby looked down, "It was, at first. But nowadays, it's kinda dulled. Though, that concerns me an awful lot as well, you know? Forgetting things about my family, people who loved, people who I loved. It feels awful."

Celestia looked down sadly, averting her eyes from the young redhead, "I imagine it's quite tough." She then lightly clapped her hands together, trying to dismiss the rather gloomy mood the last topic of conversation brought up, "Well, no real use worrying about it. The most you can do is hold on to what you can, and hope for the best in the future."

Ruby looked up at Celestia, before nodding, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Doesn't make it any easier though."

"Most things worth doing aren't easy," Celestia said, her tone becoming somewhat motherly, "But that's also why they're worth putting in the extra effort."

Ruby smiled at that, "You're right. Thanks Celestia." She stood there for a moment before saying, "I should probably go get ready," she paused "Oh! And tell Warlic I still need his rent for Cysero. I'll give it to him when I get back to Falconreach later."

The Dragon Priestess nodded serenely, "I will. Just be sure to have all your stuff in order. Once we're ready, we'll make our way to the Grove."

Ruby nodded and, with a quick 'See ya soon!' stumbled towards her temporary room, cursing her newly acquired 'Lady Tripper" the whole way, much to Celestia's amusement. Once Ruby was out of sight, the Priestess sighed and entered Warlic's study.

Her eyes were instantly drawn to the crystal that Warlic held in his hands, his lavender eyes watching the bundle of red and silver energy swirl around its confines. Occasionally, a seething black would poke through the mass of energy, though it would always be covered by red and silver soon afterwards.

As she approached, Warlic said, "You two will be departing for Sunbreeze soon, correct?" Celestia nodded in confirmation, "Good, this crystal holds a small fragment of Ruby's magic, I collected it earlier for study. Assimilating it into the dragon statue should allow it to properly adjust to the hatchling's altered temperament."

Celestia took the crystal into her hands, face set in a strained grimace as she took in irrefutable evidence of the potential evil she had taken part in. "Is it really okay for us to do this, Warlic? Is it really okay for us to alter the souls of two innocents, even if one was all but guaranteed by fate to no longer one in some time?"

Warlic sighed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Honestly, no I'm not. However, these actions that we have taken give them both new options, new paths to take in life. Without our manipulations and alterations, Ruby would be dead, and that dragon would destroy the world. Now, however, both have the potential to be heroes, to reach greatness far beyond what they once may have."

Celestia groaned, "I know that, but we've also opened paths for them to become even worse than just a 'World Destroyer.' What if our plans result in them fully falling to destruction the hatchling was destined for? What if they fall even further than that?"

"Then we just don't allow them to," Warlic said simply, "Just as it is my duty to guide Nythera to being a better person, it is both of our duties to make sure Ruby, and her dragon, become both the best people, and the greatest heroes they can be." Warlic's words were filled with a calm confidence, betraying nothing but his assuredness in his plan's success.

Celestia's, on the other hand, carried with them much doubt, "And what if that's not enough?"

"It has to be." And that was all that could really be said. If they weren't enough, then not much else could be.

* * *

Half an hour later, Ruby and Celestia departed from the Mages' Tower, the redhead waving goodbye to Warlic as they went. The two walked down the dirt road for a few minutes, until they stopped at a stone arch that sat to the South-West. The arch was covered in orange, glowing runic arrays. A large, sheet-like wall of magic swirled inside the arch, displaying an endless expanse of lights.

Ruby stared in awe at the portal, "Wow, it's so pretty."

"Yep," Celestia said jovially, "This arch, as well as the one back in Sunbreeze Grove, was designed by Warlic to look like the never ending cosmos, just swirling around for eternity. It's a design I'm quite fond of."

Celestia then walked forward, stopping right in front of the portal, "Using portals like this is pretty easy, simply step through and you'll arrive on the other side. It'll become a bit more difficult once Warlic creates one in Falconreach, but I'm certain he'll explain how to work it when he does so."

Ruby stepped up beside her, cautiously tapping the veil of magic with her foot, creating a rippling effect, "So I just walk through? That's it? No incantations or spells?"

"Yep, just step through, like this," Celestia walked into the portal, the magic rippling in a way not dissimilar to water. A few seconds later, the silver-haired woman's head stuck back out of the portal, "See, it's easy, safe, and simple." Her head was promptly pulled back in, leaving Ruby alone on the other side.

The young redhead looked at the portal for a few seconds, before looking down at her dragon egg, which had still not left her arms. Adjusting her grip on the large item, Ruby carefully stepped forward, placing a leg through the portal. Rather than the expected feeling of cool liquid, her leg felt warm, so she moved the other forward, carrying her whole body through.

She emerged on the other side of an identical portal in a sunlit grove. Beautiful trees grew all around, framing a large clearing that was situated on the banks of a large, blue, clear lake. Ruby could make out a small, ornate looking building on the edge of the clearing, with a white and gold fountain set a few meters in front of it, a young woman sitting in the grass in front of them reading a large book.

Celestia smiled when Ruby came through, and while the girl was awed at the sight of Sunbreeze Grove, she made her way over to her apprentice, who looked up at the Dragon Priestess's approach.

"Ah! Celestia, you're back. How was your visit to Warlic's, you get what you needed?" The young woman's voice was kind and energetic, its tone easily matching the happy smile that spread across her face.

"Indeed, I also brought back our future Dragonlord, though she's still staring at the landscape."

Celestia's chuckle brought the woman's attention to Ruby, and she gasped in shock. "Oh, how rude of me, I didn't even notice we had a guest. Should I go put some tea on for us?"

Celestia nodded politely, "Would you please? Once I get Ruby situated, we can get down to introductions and pleasantries." Once the lavender haired apprentice went off to prepare some drinks for them, Celestia called Ruby over. "So, how do you like Sunbreeze Grove?"

"It's beautiful," was the girl's answer, "And so warm. Is the weather always so nice here?"

"It is, our geographical placement allows the grove to be relatively warm all year round, with the exception of some parts of the winter months." She looked around the clearing fondly, "It's probably the best place I could have asked for as a home." Celestia then beckoned for Ruby and began leading her towards the building, "Now come, we'll have some tea, I can introduce you to Elysia, and then we'll discuss how best to take care of your dragon egg."

The two walked over to the building, just in time to see Elysia exit it and place a large, white cloth on the grass. She then reentered the building before returning with a tray carrying a large tea kettle and three ceramic cups.

Celestia gracefully sat on the blanket, patting the spot next her for Ruby to follow suit. Once the redhead had sat down next to her, Elysia sat the tray down and took a seat on the Dragon Priestess's other side. Once they were seated, each had a cup of tea, and Ruby had made sure her's was at least fifty percent sugar, Celestia got to introducing the younger women to one another.

"Ruby, meet Elysia. She's my apprentice and assistant. She helps anyone who comes through our Grove when I am unavailable." Once Ruby greeted the young woman, she said, "And Elysia, this is Ruby. She's the one who recovered that dragon egg that she's holding. She'll become a rather familiar sight, I'm sure."

Elysia turned to Ruby, "Nice to meet you. So, you're the one Celestia asked to raise that dragon, huh?"

Ruby smiled back at her, "Yep. I'm still not entirely sure why she thinks I'm the best for the job," Ruby subconsciously hugged the dragon egg closer to herself, "But I'll certainly do my best."

"Glad to hear it," Elysia said, a warm smile on her face, "That egg's pretty special after all. I expect to see great things from it in the future."

"What do you mean?"

Celestia began trying to make subtle gestures for Elysia to halt the current train of conversation, but the young woman was too excited to pay attention, "Ah, you see, that egg you're holding is one of two twins. Both it and its sibling are said to house unmatched potential, to the point where they are prophesied to destroy or save the world in the future." Elysia sighed blissfully, "The potential that the little guy holds is astounding. I can't wait to help bring it out."

Ruby looked at her egg thoughtfully, "It's supposed to be that powerful?"

"Yep! I'll admit, I'm feeling giddy at the thought of just how strong that dragon of yours will be." Elysia shuddered happily, "To think that I of all people will get to witness such a thing, I can hardly wait!"

Ruby smiled somewhat awkwardly at her words, "You're pretty into the whole 'hidden potential' thing, aren't you?"

Elysia puffed out her chest, "Yep! I've studied dragon magic, as well as other types of magic my whole life, but there was one concept that always drew me to it. The concept of hidden potential, great power certain members of various species can call upon with effort. I'm currently focusing on something known as 'Primal Magic,' an ancient dragon magic that's considered lost. It's said that it can only be used by a dragon who has established a link to one of the elemental planes."

"Huh, that's pretty neat. What's it do?"

Elysia's grin grew as she found herself in an ideal situation, one where she could teach someone else about her interests. The lavender haired woman ignored her mentor's soft 'Oh dear' of exasperation and began her speech.

"You see, Ruby, Primal magic is a type of magic that is both fundamentally draconic and elemental in nature. Normally, magics of fused natures are impossible, the energies are too different, so they just end up exploding, imploding, or otherwise failing. What Primal Magic does is it takes the these two inherently different forms of magic usage and combines them together seamlessly into their own distinct magic type."

"This new magic type, then, is capable of things that neither magic could do on their own, as well as enhancing feats that each would have been able to do. Things like generating an entire storm surge's worth of water, making it rain fire, or even accelerating one's physical movement to degrees that should be physically impossible are all things dragons can use Primal Magic for. Though there are some major limitations."

Ruby tilted her head in confusion, "What kind of limitations?"

"Well, for starters a dragon can usually only gain Primal Magic of its own elemental alignment. However, that's also where the dragon your egg contains outshines most others." At Ruby's questioning she clarified, "You see, one of the aspects of the twin dragons that yours is one half of is that they lack elemental alignments, or more specifically, can have any alignment they want, at any time."

Ruby's eyebrows rose at the Elysia's claim, "How does that work? I thought that elemental alignments were things certain creatures and species just naturally had based on environment."

Elysia nodded, indeed, and those alignments suffuse throughout their whole body, granting them natural strengths and weakness to different elements. However, there are various beings that can wield several different elements seamlessly, aren't there?"

Ruby's eyes widened, "So wait, are you saying that my dragon's magic will work somewhat similarly to a human's?"

Elysia's eyes lit up, "Exactly! It's magic is fluid, fully a part of it, but not wholly consuming. As such, the dragon will be able to use any element, at the cost of never gaining a natural weakness or resistance to any of the world's elements." Elysia's grin was starting too look painful with how wide it was getting, "Because of that, your dragon could change elemental affinity at any point based solely on need or desire. It could then, conceivably, gain Primal Magic for every elemental alignment in existence!"

Ruby didn't want to disrupt the apprentice's elation, but she felt it necessary to input a single question she had, "But if it has no alignment, then what if it can't learn any Primal Magic?"

Elysia simply smirked and puffed out her chest confidently, "My research indicates that an inability to use Primal Magic of a differing element stems more from elements lacking an affinity for one another than a dragon lacking a connection with a certain one. It will take some time and research to determine is that's fully the case, I'm curious to see if dragons can use a Primal Magic of a related element, like Ice Dragons using Primal Water Magic or Fire Dragons using Primal Energy Magic, but that will be a while."

Ruby nodded in understanding. "I see. That's really cool, I didn't even know magics like that existed."

Elysia nodded sadly, "Indeed, most people have forgotten about these types of skills." She then perked up a bit, "But that's why I research them! If no one else will, then I will uncover every ancient, potential-based magic I can, and either learn them, or how to unlock them in someone who can!"

Ruby smiled at the apprentice, "Do you know of any other magics like that?"

Elysia nodded, "Sort of. I've heard rumors of one that may not be fully forgotten. Rumors of some humans being able to tap into great power through their eyes, though I haven't learned much else beyond that."

Ruby furrowed her brows, "Their eyes? How does that work?"

Elysia shrugged, "Dunno, but I plan on finding out some day, and seeing if I can learn it myself." Elysia then smirked at Ruby, meeting the redhead's silver eyes with her own, "And I expect you to help me out by sending any bit of information you learn my way. We can learn quite a bit working together, I'm sure."

Ruby stared at the excited silver eyes of the lavender haired apprentice, before nodding. "Agreed! Just make sure that you do the same for me, I wouldn't want to be left out of the loop."

Elysia whooped in excitement and threw an arm around the smaller girl's shoulders, accidentally knocking Celestia over as she leaned over the older woman, "That's the spirit! Let's learn all sorts of legendary forgotten magics together! Think about it, Ruby and Elysia, scholars of forgotten magic. It sounds wonderful, doesn't it?"

Ruby smiled back at her, "I dunno about being a scholar, but if it's a magic I can actually learn, I'm all for it!"

Celestia slowly slid out from under her enthusiastic apprentice and looked at the red and purple haired girls as they chatted. A warm smile spread across her lips as the two got along, happily discussing whatever topics they could think of. Ruby had already moved the topic of discussion to weapons and weapon crafting, a topic she seemed highly enthusiastic about. Combine that with the advice Elysia was giving her on forging enchantments and magic into various materials, and it was obvious that the two had found a good friend the other.

"Well," Celestia whispered to herself, "Maybe Warlic was right. I haven't seen Elysia this happy in a while. And Ruby seems to be enjoying herself as well. This really is good for everyone involved." Comforted in the knowledge that the two would probably be fine on their own, Celestia returned to the small house she lived in, and grabbed a map. "I can give them an hour to just enjoy themselves before we head out for the cave."

* * *

An hour later, the trio of females left Sunbreeze Grove, Ruby carrying her dragon egg, Celestia carrying a map and an odd, silvery-red crystal, and Elysia carrying a small journal, quill, and inkwell for note taking.

"So where are we headed," Ruby asked, following the white garbed Priestess, "Is it some super secret dragon raising place?"

Celestia smiled, "Not quite, it's a cave that's been warded to be harder to locate without an exact location. I've already placed an artifact designed for protecting dragon eggs there, we just need to place your egg in it, and then wait for it to hatch."

"When's it going to do that, anyway?"

Celestia turned to look back at Ruby, "It probably won't be for a while. While there is a set date for its hatching, as well as the hatching of its twin, certain… events… have muddied the waters of fate recently."

Ruby furrowed her brows in confusion, "What does that mean?"

Celestia grimaced, "Let's just say that the person who would have originally gotten the egg you're carrying is, no longer with us. Because of that, I'm not certain how the strings of fate will affect either dragon, or those entrusted with raising them."

An uncomfortable feeling grew in the pit of Ruby's stomach, "By 'no longer with us,' do you mean that they're…"

"Indeed. He's dead. Murdered before he could even truly begin his life. It was a tragedy that should have been avoided."

"Who killed him?" Ruby's question was thick with wariness, the idea of someone murdering a person who was likely just a child upsetting her.

Celestia's mouth pulled into a grim line, "The murderer was a man named Sepulcher. He reduced the man's entire town to a horde of undead, and butchered the child himself." She looked at Ruby, a serious look in her eyes, "Listen to me Ruby. If you ever meet him, run. Sepulcher isn't an opponent you can face." She looked down sadly, "I'm not certain anyone can truly face him anymore."

Ruby grew confused, as well as concerned. "If this Sepulcher guy is so dangerous, then how come I've never heard of him?"

Celestia frowned, "That's because most people who meet him don't live long enough to spread his name around. That bandit who attacked us back in Oaklore, the one with the spiky hair, he's one of his servants."

Ruby froze at that, "Seriously? Drakath works for Sepulcher? Then that means he probably knows about me already."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. Sepulcher isn't one who takes failure lightly. If he learns that he failed to beat someone younger than him, Sepulcher may just kill him before he can say anything."

Ruby let out a nervous sigh, "Somehow, I don't think things will be that easy."

Celestia tried to dispel the darkened atmosphere with a quick clap of her hands, "Well, look on the brightside. Not only did we prevent that egg from falling into his hands, but its twin is still safe as well."

"Where is its twin anyway?"

Celestia smirked playfully, "That's a secret." Her face then fell slightly, "Or, I hope it's a secret. Things will get really bad, really fast if Sepulcher knows the whereabouts of the other egg, especially if he manages to obtain it."

Ruby nodded in understanding, "So, how much further to this 'Secret Cave?'"

Celestia brushed some brush out of her way, "It's just a short while away now. We should be there in a few minutes. Surely enough, the three came up to a wide cave opening, as Celestia stepped into the earthen maw, ethereal lights lit the walls. A pale white glow filled the cavern as they moved deeper into the cave.

Eventually, they found a large, stone statue. It was shaped like a dragon, perched on a mountaintop. Its wings were unfurled, and its claws were open, as if waiting for something to be placed beneath it. It's tail was curled around a gap, and its mouth was slightly open.

Celestia approached the statue and placed the silvery-red crystal in its waiting mouth. The statue's mouth closed, and its eyes glowed a warm, dim red. She then turned back to Ruby, "Just place the egg in the statue's clutches, the enchantments should handle the rest."

Ruby nodded, before carefully placing the egg in the dragon's grasp. The dragon quickly coiled around the the egg, wrapping its tail, talons, and wings around the egg like an extra, protective shell. It then placed its head on to of the egg, still glowing eyes staring out into the depths of the cave.

"Is that it? No fancy light show or anything else?"

Ruby's question caused Elysia to chuckle, "Nah, that usually happens when a powerful dragon hatches, not when it's protected."

Ruby pouted, "Aw man, and here I was expecting something cool."

Celestia smiled, "Regardless of expectations, the egg has been placed in the dragon statue. There really isn't much else we can do in regards to the egg, aside from waiting for it hatch and going over the basics of raising a dragon."

Ruby rose an eyebrow, "So we came all the way out here just for a basic thing like that?"

"Yep," Celestia thought for a moment before handing Ruby the map, "Oh, and take this. You'll need it if you ever want to check up on the egg. Don't lose it, and definitely don't give it to anyone else."

Ruby nodded and pocketed the map, "Thanks Celestia." She then turned back towards the cave entrance. "So, should we head back?"

Celestia smiled, "Indeed. An later, you can stay the night with us, if you want. Or you could return to Falconreach. We have a small rowboat that can take you across the lake to an area near the edge of Oaklore Forest."

Ruby gave her a confused look, "Wait, if you have a rowboat, then why'd you ride a dragon to Oaklore when we first met?"

Celestia shrugged playfully, "Rowing is tiring. It's a lot easier to just ask that grumpy old lizard to ferry me around."

Elysia laughed awkwardly, "It's true. She used to ride him back and forth between the Grove and Warlic's Tower before he decided to just set up the portals."

With their plans in place, the three left the cave, chatting about the efficiency of using a dragon as a taxi service, and Ruby's plans for later. As they went along their way, returning to Sunbreeze Grove, another person arrived at his destination.

* * *

Drakath stepped into the large, red and orange entrance to the cave system that had been intricately carved into the interior of an active volcano. He swallowed nervously, but schooled his face to hide any other signs of nervousness. There was only one person crazy enough to create an actual volcano base, and he didn't want to give the man any excuses to attack him.

Several Fire Elementals turned to look at him sa he passed, though they allowed him passage without any resistance. The same went for the various monsters, particularly the Lava Divers and the Flame Sprites, who simply glared at him as he passed.

Drakath felt a cold sweat line his brow, something quite impressive for a guy currently walking through a volcano, as it was a sure sign that he had been expected. He glowered, was his failure really so expected that even this madman figured it would happen?

Drakath stepped into a large throne room at the center of the volcano, and eyed the figure sitting in the large obsidian throne warily. "Well, well, well, you look pretty burnt out, Drakky!"

Drakath scowled as the figure cackled inanely at what it may or may not have considered a good joke, it's blackened skull flapping open and closed energetically. The bright flames that made up its eyes narrowed in happy slits. "So!" It shouted, leaning forward, blackened skeletal hands gripping the edges of its throne, "What brings you here? Did you fail ol' Sepulcher, like we knew you would?"

Drakath suppressed a growl, "I haven't failed yet, I just need some help."

"Oh? And what makes you think I will hep you? I've got important plotting to do! I'm getting close to starting my moves to kill that blasted Blue Mage, I don't have time for failures like yourself!"

Drakath masked his glare with a cocky smirk, "Oh? And what if I told you the help I needed would let you start on your vengeance against Warlic?"

The bright flames that burnt within the figure's skull narrowed, "How would helping you, help me kill Warlic?"

Drakath kept up his calm facade, "It won't kill him, per se, but it will hurt him. He's got a new pawn, some stupid little bitch named Ruby," Drakath literally spat her name, his spit evaporating on the volcanic cave's floor, "I want you to invade her home town, and kill her."

The skeletal figure brought a robed arm up to its face, skeletal hand stroking its flaming head, "Hmm, on one hand I really want to kill Warlic, on the other I wanna see him suffer. Decisions, decisions."

As he hummed in thought, Drakath added, "I'll also consider the debt you owed my father paid, and will owe you a favor myself. What do you say, Xan, do we have a deal?"

The blackened, grinning skull of the endlessly burning Pyromancer locked eyes with Drakath, "You know what, WHY NOT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! PREPARE TO LOSE YOUR NEWEST TOY, WARLIC! I HOPE YOU ENJOY WATCHING HER BURN! MAYBE I'LL EVEN GIVE YOU HER ASHES AS A GIFT WHEN I KILL YOU!"

While Xan cackled madly, Drakath smirked. With Ruby distracted, and most likely a dead girl walking, he'd be free to grab the other egg. Hopefully Sepulcher was willing to accept half of what he asked for.

* * *

 **Omake**

 **Patched Life**

* * *

A young woman stood atop a cliffside, the winds blowing her messy golden hair. She stared down at the twin grave markers that sat on the cliff with her. They held matching designs and matching names, marking a spot of remembrance for two people. Summer Rose, who had been declared 'Killed in Action' during a hunt gone bad, and Ruby Rose, who had been lost near an abandoned cabin within the woods of Patch.

The woman's lavender eyes watered as she caressed the smaller grave marker, "I'm so sorry, Ruby. I never deserved to be your big sister, did I?"

The woman sighed sadly as she bent down in front of it. "I was an idiot, a fool, and I probably still am. But I promise you, I'll become the hero you always said you were going to be, I'll make sure no one else ever suffers this fate. The fate of losing a loved one to some stupid, mindless monsters."

She straightened back up, "I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but please know that I'm trying my best."

* * *

The next day, the woman stood in front of a large, metal contraption. Several people her age were entering the vehicle, preparing to ship off to Beacon Academy. She turned to look a blonde haired man in the eyes, his face weathered and aged beyond his years.

"This is it, isn't it?" His voice was soft, tired, and sad. Despite not saying it this time, the young woman could hear the silent pleas for her to not leave, to change her mind and come back.

She smiled at him, "Yeah. I'm sorry Dad, I know you don't want me becoming a huntress, but it's," she sighed, "it's the only thing I can do. Nothing else can make up for what I've done."

He glowered slightly, "Don't say that, it wasn't you fault what happened that day. You were just a kid, you didn't know any better." He took in a shuddering breath, "It's my fault she's gone. Had I just been a damned adult, a damned parent, and paid attention to you guys, that whole thing could have been avoided." He looked down, "Don't blame yourself, blame me."

She winced at his unsaid, "I already do."

The blonde leaned forward and wrapped her father in a strong hug, "Honestly Dad, I don't think I can blame you. I'm not certain I could withstand it."

He returned her hug, arms shaking somewhat, "Yeah, maybe you're right. Just, just stay safe Yang. Don't leave me with no one but Qrow, I don't think I could stand having no one left but his drunken ass."

Despite herself, Yang laughed, "I wouldn't do that to you." She released him and stepped back, "Besides, I've got a Grimm genocide to do, no time for dying here."

With that, she walked to the open door of the Bullhead, stopping to wave back at her father, before entering the vehicle. As the metal airship took off, Yang felt her lips curl downward. Here she was, on her first true steps to becoming the hero Ruby always wanted to be. The hero she'd never be because of Yang;s own actions. Yang gripped the red cloak she had wrapped around her neck, her eyes glowing a determined red, "In your name, Ruby, I'll crush everything that threatens this world."

* * *

 **End Omake**

* * *

 **End of Arc One…**

 **Birth of a Hero**


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Hatching Plots

**AN: BWAHAHAHAHA! Welcome back to Ruby's Lore, the only FanFiction that is written by someone so prone to procrastination that they'll get a chapter out early instead of starting on a school project that was due a couple days later! Seriously though, last week's chapter was my excuse not to work on school garbage. No regrets on my part though, I got that thing submitted a minute before its due date, thanks to some super hacker ninja skills. (And then my teacher ninja'd me by moving the due date forward by a few days, rendering my not-so-hard work meaningless. Goddammit)**

 **I'm getting some weird deja vu stuff going on, like I've started this chapter before, but I can't find the thing. Anyway, thanks for the review, guisniperman,you're literally the only guy who talks to me anymore. Nevermind, thanks for the review Anon, haven't seen people who aren't Gui around lately, but it makes me happy to get it.**

 **Guisniperman: Of course they'd become best friends, Elysia and Ruby are just as obsessive when it comes to their hobby of choice, and are equally kind hearted. As for the coming Wrath of Xan, of course that's gonna hurt. Xan likes his people extra crispy after all.**

 **Anon: Glad to hear you're enjoying the story so far, I know I've been enjoying writing it. I wish it was easier to find high quality DragonFable fics, but it's much too underappreciated for all that many people with average or higher skill to write for it. I too hope that I can give Ruby and Yang a happy reunion, though I'm still struggling with how that could reasonably happen. That, and there's been a much less happy potential storyline flitting around my head for a while now that wishes to take its place.**

 **Mscdjethro: Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Request whatever you want, just don't expect me to actually complete, or even start, any requests. The most I'll do while writing this story is a one-shot, I'm not gonna tank this fic by trying to juggle projects.**

 **I agree that the "Dragon Hatching" and "Player Hatching" cutscenes are some of the funniest ones in game.**

 **Sorry if this chapter starts a bit bumpy, this arc doesn't start as directly as previous chapters, so I had to wrestle with my old pal "Starting Stuff Rather Than Just Continuing" again. If you see anything that needs smothing out in an edit, LET ME KNOW.**

 **Without further ado, let's get right into the fic!**

* * *

 **Beginning of Arc Two…**

 **Hatching Plots**

Chapter Nineteen

A few days after hiding her dragon egg was hidden away within the Secret Cave, Ruby returned to her slightly modified schedule within Falconreach. Her first order of business had been to stop by Yuglar's forge and fix up her poor, battered weaponry. She took her Makeshift Seafangs and fitted them properly with the fittings and hilts necessary to act as proper weaponry, she reforged her Steel Daggers, which were completely lost after her earlier adventure, and she created several new Iron Throwing Knives to make up for the ones that had either been destroyed or damaged.

While doing so, she hung out with Yuglar and Konnan, catching up with the brunette smith and his blonde apprentice. She learned about how Konnan moved out to Falconreach so that he could become a blacksmith and better support his family, who lived in a small farming village to the North-East of Surewood Forest.

She also learned that he had a friend who was a skilled fire mage, and was learning bits and pieces of weapon enchanting from him, lessons that the man was quite happy to pass on to her.

"You see Ruby, you can't just put magic into a weapon and call that an enchantment, well you could but it would be a short lived, novice-tier enchantment at best," Konnan said as he mimicked his friend and teacher, Alexander. Konnan showed Ruby a bottle of shimmering flames that burned without any fuel, "A proper enchantment needs both knowledge of a certain magic, and enchanted materials to forge into a blade alongside the both strengthens and binds the spell to the weaponry, allowing it persist."

Ruby nodded in understanding, withdrawing her Firebrand. She held up the red-orange sword, taking in its appearance, "So that's how this was probably made, right? Someone found some proper materials and new how to cast some spells?"

Konnan sighed, "It's a bit more complex than that," he lifted the sword out of the smaller girl's hands, "This blade in particular was made from Volcanic Spark Iron, it's a rather common metal with a fire alignment. Good for lower tier fire enchantments, like this one's Flare Burst, but not particularly good for anything better."

Ruby took back her blade, "This is a low level enchantment? But it's pretty good attack when I charge it."

Konnan nodded, "Yes, but the blade itself is only warm. Enchantments like this one, that are focused more on concentrated bursts than continuous force, tend to hit harder, but at the cost of being little better than a regular weapon when the enchantment is inactive."

Konnan walked over to a weapon rack and grabbed a light red estoc, he returned to Ruby and held it up to her, "This estoc, called Flambe, was enchanted by Alexander for me, though I made the weapon itself." Konnan swung the estoc around, watching as sparks flew off its thin blade, he then held a hand a bit over the blade, motioning for Ruby to do the same, "As you can see and feel, this weapon's enchantment is more consistently powerful. It constantly gives off heat, though it can't launch any magical attacks like your Firebrand can."

Ruby scratched her head, "So what decides if an enchantment is a passive one like the Flambe's, or an active one like Firebrand's?"

Konnan pulled several slightly singed books from his bag, opening one to a marked page, "Those would be runic arrays. There are two major classifications for runes that are used for binding the magic to the weapon." He pointed to two differing diagrams, "One is an array dedicated more to stability and longevity. It retains the spell's effects for extended periods of time, with only occasional need for recharging, which is oftentimes unconsciously done mid-battle. The other is an array designed to be easily charged, but poorly retains charges. It's good for enchantments that are charged and launched in quick succession, but they don't retain that power very well."

Ruby nodded, "I think I get it. Basically it's the difference between a river and a geyser. One is constant and the other is a short, powerful burst."

Konnan smiled at her, "Exactly." Konnan smiled as he rifled through the materials Alexander had given him, "I can't really let you borrow any of the notes Alexander gave me, they were old school materials of his and they mean a lot to him, but I can copy some stuff over for you. Give me a week or two and I should have something put together for you."

Ruby beamed up at the taller blonde, "Thanks Konnan, I've been meaning to improve my smithing skills for a while, but Yuglar doesn't know how to enchant weaponry."

Konnan grinned back at her, "You know, I'm glad I'm not the only person training to properly forge weapons and armor, it's pretty fun working alongside another student."

Ruby nodded, "I agree. I liked being privately taught by Yuglar, but being able to compare my work to someone closer to my skill level is pretty nice."

The two apprentices continued their talks whenever Ruby had time to help around the forge, though Konnan would always be oddly tight-lipped about his friend, Alexander, who he claimed was a rather private person, and that it would be rude to talk about him behind his back.

Ruby also made a point of helping out around the inn, after apologizing for not being around for several days. Maryann was rather annoyed with her, since disappearing for several days and coming back looking like she had been nearly killed by something was quickly becoming an unwanted habit of the diminutive redhead, as well as a major source of stress for the aging innkeeper.

The blonde cook, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind Ruby's newfound habit of skipping town to fight things. If anything, Serenity encouraged it by asking Ruby to regale her with tales of whatever it was that she had gotten involved in recently, and very much enjoyed hearing about the younger girl's various escapades against bandits, monsters, and elementals.

Ruby's occasional trip into the Surewood to help with the local bandit population resulted in her meeting up with Robina. The older, auburn haired woman wasn't very happy to see Ruby at first, holding firm to her opinion that Ruby was too young to be fighting dangerous monsters and criminals.

Over time, however, she grew to accept that the younger girl wouldn't back down from her actions, and instead made do with following her around the forest, making sure she didn't end up getting too hurt, while passing on some helpful tips for surviving in the wild for extended periods of time.

Robina decided to teach the redhead various tricks for hunting and trapping so that she could gather food in the event she was far out from a town or city and needed supplies. As she did, the two slowly became friends, though it was rather awkward at first due to their less-than-ideal meeting.

For a whole week after settling back into her schedule, Ruby spent whatever time she had either working on her weapons, learning from Yuglar, Konnan, and Robina, relaxing, or visiting her dragon egg. Despite the rather hectic events that led up to that point, it seemed as though things were finally calming down.

That was when the winds carried the smell of smoke into town, acting as the first herald of a coming firestorm.

* * *

Ruby's morning started off normally enough. She woke up, got cleaned and dressed, and helped Serenity and Maryann around the inn for the morning rush. She helped serve food to the various merchants, travelers, knights, and adventurers who were passing through the town while traveling to whatever destination they had in mind.

She talked to the various patrons, listening to the various stories they told of the more distant regions of Greenguard that she hadn't been to, such as the eternally nocturnal Doomwood, the dangerous expanses of Braughlmurk, and even about a flying city that was apparently carried at all times by dragons.

Once the breakfast rush died down, and many of the patrons had left the building, Ruby went out into the town with plans to see if Ash was available for a bit of training against any local predators and bandits they could find.

She stepped out of the inn's front door, basking in the warm sun as she stretched her arms. Ruby took a deep breath through her nostrils, taking in the normal smells of the small, bustling town, and paused. She sniffed again, focusing on the smell of smoke that lingered faintly in the air.

"It's too early for Yuglar to have his forge going this strong, so what's burning," she asked herself, as she looked around, searching for any signs of fire or smoke. She walked over to the smithy, noting that the smell lessened slightly as she approached.

Suddenly, a scream shattered the calm of Falconreach, causing Ruby and several other townsfolk and travelers to swing around towards the Eastern entrance to town. Charging into town on four semi-molten legs, and blasting the nearby Guardians with blobs of molten rock, was a towering monstrosity of stone and lava.

The golem-like being was large, being at least two meters tall, and a meter wide. It was made of rough, grey stone and glowing, red-orange lava. The beast had four large, angular legs and two long, club-like arms that dripped with the molten rock. Its head was decorated with a pair of large, sharp horns and large, jagged teeth. Its eyes were pools of molten rock, and glared straight at her with a powerful, burning hatred.

"What the Hell is this thing," Ruby asked herself as the monster prepared another attack.

Ruby dived out of the way as the creature charged her, burning arms swinging down to club her small form. Ruby reached into her belt, withdrawing her Seafangs as she stared down the Bassault, which skidded to a stop and turned to face her once again.

Semi-molten arms lifted up, glowing with heat as the air warped around the burning beast. The Bassault then thrust its arms forward, lobbing a glob of lava towards Ruby, forcing her to dodge out of the way as the molten rock singed the earth.

Ruby then dashed forward, trying to stab her Seafangs into the Bassault's molten side, but was quickly rebuffed by the intense heat that radiated off of the monster. In response to her recoil, the golem threw an arm forward, impacting Ruby's chest and launching her back several meters.

Her leather armor, which had caught fire upon contact with the burning stone, was quickly snuffed out by Ruby's ragdoll roll. She eventually came to a stop, and clambered to her feet to glare at the monster, who was preparing to charge her yet again.

Ruby threw an Iron Throwing Knife at the Bassault, but cursed when the dark grey metal sank into the molten rock and melted away. The golem seemed to smirk when her attack was ineffective, and charged.

Red hot horns pierced the earth as Ruby desperately dodged out of the way, trying to think of a way to attack the rampaging monster without destroying more of her weapons, or getting severely burned. As she tried to come with a plan, a sudden shout, followed by a loud hissing and a roar of pain distracted her from her thoughts.

Ruby turned to the side to see a panting Ash carrying an empty metal bucket, he turned to her and shouted, "Looks like you could use some help!"

Ruby grinned as she gripped her Seafangs, eyeing the clearly pained monster, "Much as I like the help, I think that guy over there needs to cool off some more. Think you could help him with that first?"

Ash nodded as he flashed her a salute, "On it! I'll get more water, you just hold it off until it's cooled enough to fight!"

With a plan in motion, Ruby intercepted the Bassault, who had decided to attack the boy who had dared dump a bucket of water on it, while Ash ran off to refill his container. Ruby flinched from the heat as she neared the Bassault, but was pleased to note that it had already cooled dramatically from just one bucketful of water.

She stabbed her Seafangs into the golem's left wrist, drawing a loud roar from it as it retracted the outstretched limb and glared at her. Ruby quickly retreated as it launched a deluge of lava from an opening in its arm, leaving a burning puddle in the center of town.

Ruby dashed around the glowing red mass and through a smoke pellet at the Bassault's face. Rather than bursting into smoke, the contents of the pellet combusted, exploding on impact with burning creature. The sudden force snapped of a large, pointed horn and threw the golem's head back.

Molten orange eyes locked onto silver as the monster recovered from the explosion. It roared in anger before charging Ruby once more. Right before it could reach her, Ash returned and doused it in yet another bucket of water, cooling more of its body. One of its legs fully hardened and snapped off as it tried to continue its charge, causing the Bassault to trip and fall.

Ruby quickly capitalized on the golem's mishap and drove her Seafangs into the back of the golem's cooling neck. She retreated again as the creature tried to rise, leaving two deep holes at the base of its head, two holes that were promptly filled by water by the returning Ash.

The Bassault let out a strangled roar as it felt its neck stiffen and become immobile. "Ash, stab it in the neck," Ruby yelled as she leapt back, motioning to her brunette friend.

"Right!" Ash let out a wordless yell of effort as he withdrew his Iron Longsword and brought it down on the hardened neck of the struggling Bassault. A clang and a crunch sounded out as his blade collided with the hardened stone. The Bassault roared in pain as its neck cracked, nearly breaking off.

The golem tried to rise and counter the nearly fatal strike, but Ruby denied it the chance and slammed her Seafangs into its face. With one last crunch, the head broke off of the monster, sending the body crumbling to the ground in a mess of dried and molten magma.

Ruby began to approach the downed monster to examine its corpse for clues on where i came from, when she was interrupted by an eruption of cheers. The redhead spun around to realize that she had gathered a rather large audience during her fight, many of whom were now congratulating her on her fight.

"Those were some good moves, kid! You really showed that guy who's boss!"

"Wow, didn't know you could fight fire monsters with water buckets, I gotta try that next time I head into a volcanic region."

"Thanks for stopping that thing, dunno what I'd do if it destroyed my house."

Ruby blushed shyly when she realized that she and Ash had gathered most of the town's attention with their battle, "Oh, um, thanks? I was just doing what I do, I guess." Ruby nervously trailed off, looking off to the side in embarrassment.

Ash wasn't faring much better, if the dark blush and nervous neck rubbing was any indication. "Really, it was nothing," he said, "It was only one monster, beating it wasn't all that impressive."

Yuglar, who had exited his smithy to see what the racket was about, laughed and clapped the two youths on their shoulders, "Don't be so modest! You two took on what was obviously a dangerous monster, seemingly without hesitation. That's more than most people could or would do."

Ruby just shrugged embarrassedly, "Not really. I mean, most people would defend their home from monsters."

"Then why didn't they?"

Ruby shrugged again, "It's not like anyone expected a monster to run into town. They probably were just surprised an unarmed."

Before they could continue, the sounds of loud, clanking armor filled the town. Everyone turned towards the Eastern side of Falconreach to see an injured warrior running towards the center of town, a severely burnt mage on his back.

"Someone! Alert the Guardian tower! We've got a massive number of monsters heading towards us from the East!"

"Woah, slow down there," a townsperson said, "What kind of monsters are we talking about here?"

The warrior, who was heading towards Reens's medical office, turned and said, "They were all fire monsters. Elementals, Furies, Flamewings, those kinds of beasts. I don't know what's got them enraged but they attacked us without any provocation." He took a shaky breath and pointed to the treeline "You can already see their approach!"

Ruby and several others turned to Surewood, and paled as they saw the billowing smoke that was quickly gathering in the Eastern skies. They could already see hints of a distant forest fire starting up.

The redhead grimaced, "Hey Ash, you wanna come with me to warn Robina? I don't think she's going to want to get caught up in that."

The brunette nodded, his forehead dotted with nervous sweat, "Yeah, it would be really bad if she got caught up in that."

Yuglar's face was drawn into a serious frown, "Konnan! Go tell Kain that we've got an emergency situation on our hands!" The blonde apprentice gave him a nod and ran off towards the Guardian Tower. The man then turned to several of the nervous townsfolk, "The rest of you, go tell Maryann what's going on, she and Serenity will probably have to convert their inn into an extension of the doctor's office."

The well built blacksmith turned to Ruby, concern in his eyes, "Are you sure you two will be alright out there?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, we should be fine. Just make sure everyone is armed."

Yuglar nodded, "Already planned on it." The man then turned away and began barking more orders to the denizens of Falconreach, helping them get ready for what was already looking to be a very dangerous situation, as well as sending out a few people to alert Oaklore Keep and ask for support.

Meanwhile, loud alarm bells began ringing from the Guardian Tower. Distant shouts rang out from the small force as they prepared for mobilization.

* * *

By the time Ruby and Ash made it to Robina's camp, the smell of smoke had fully settled over the forest, wisps and clouds of the dark grey matter drifting ominously over the trees. Small animals were fleeing from the coming flames, running between the trees in the direction of Falconreach, as birds flew above them.

Robina herself was packing as much as she could, more than prepared to join the creatures in their retreat, when she saw Ruby and Ash approaching. "Oi, you two, what's going on? Any idea what's caused this forest fire?"

"It's not a forest fire, well it is but not a natural one," Ruby said, her tone urgent, "We've got a mass of fire monsters approaching from the East, burning everything in sight. We came to get you out of the forest before they set this whole place alight."

Robina paled at her words, "Wait, monsters?! Why are a bunch of fire monsters coming here?"

"Dunno, but we're retreating to Falconreach. Hopefully we can hold the onslaught of monsters off until they back down."

Ash drew his blade and shouted to get the two females' attention, "Hey, if you two wanna know why they're attacking, then you can just ask them!" He pointed his sword at the flock of dark orange-red creatures that had flown out of the trees and into the clearing.

There around half a dozen creatures that appeared to be anthropomorphic birds, sporting bright plumage across their whole bodies, wickedly long and sharp talons on their feet, limbs that looked like a fusion between arm and wing sprouting from their shoulders, and bird-like heads that sported a sharp, curved beak and piercing, hawk-like eyes. Their bodies were vaguely humanoid in nature, possessing a lithe, almost feminine shape, but the distinctly bird-like qualities identified them as more beast than human.

"Shit, it's a flock of Furies," Robina shouted as she grabbed her bow, notching an arrow from the quiver on her back, "I thought they only lived in tropical regions!"

Ruby readied her Seafangs, "Well, it seems we're getting a lot of non-natives soon, so just consider these a welcoming party!"

The Furies made the first move, flying with surprising agility with their arm-wings. The one at the head of the flock swooped forward and drove its talons down towards Robina, hoping to incapacitate the archer before she could loose an arrow on its brethren. However, the avian's foot was blocked by an Iron Longsword courtesy of Ash.

"Don't worry, I ca- GAH!" Ash's attempt to sound cool was cut off by a barrage of red-orange feathers that were launched by the other Furies. The feathers flew through the air and impacted the brunette, instantly bursting into flames upon contact with his skin.

"Crap! You alright Ash?" Ruby's concerned question was met with a pained 'yeah.' Sighing in relief, Ruby moved to engage the flock of bird people, her daggers glinting dangerously as she sprinted forward.

Two of the Furies flew forward to meet her, talons glinting and eyes blazing. Talon met dagger as the parties tried to cut into one another, neither letting up. The deadlock was ceased when the second Fury fired several exploding feathers at Ruby, forcing her to dodge away and drop her guard, allowing the Fury she originally engaged to drive its talons into the redhead.

While her armor held, the force of the blow still sent the girl across the clearing, provoking the avians to pursue their foe. Ruby managed to withdraw a smoke pellet in midair, and launched it at the two approaching birds, blinding one of them and damaging the sight of the other.

The blinded Fury missed her by a wide margin, slamming into a tree instead of her airborne form. It's body let out a sickening crack as it did so, eliciting a loud screech of pain from the avian, whose beak was now sporting several large deep cracks. The other fared better than that, missing Ruby with its talons but also avoiding its own face-to-face with one of nature's wonders.

Ruby hit the ground rolling, already clambering to her feet to clash with the Furies. Hazy, hawk-like eyes met her silver ones as the Fury screeched furiously, it launched a massive volley of feathers from its wings, leaving them almost entirely bare and itself incapable of flight.

Ruby barely had time to cover her head as the wave of explosive quills exploded around her, launching her into the air once more and setting the surrounding vegetation ablaze. Her whole body burned, but she forced herself to focus on the Fury who was now sprinting towards her, shrieking bloody murder.

The Fury leapt off the ground and attempted to use its weight to slam its talons into Ruby, and by extension, Ruby into the ground. However, Ruby managed to bring up her weapons and parried the avian's axe kick. She pushed herself upwards using the parry, and drove her own kick into the bird's head, sending tumbling into the ground.

Ruby moved to finish it off, but was cut off by a fireball that impacted her side. Ruby slid across the grass, dirt, and slowly gathering ash as she patted out the burning spot on her armor. She turned to her attacker, a Fire Elemental who had caught up to the flock of Furies and decided to help them out.

The elemental's form flared up, the gem that acted as the only solid part of its body glowing, as it launched a gout of flames at the redhead. Ruby dived out of the way, sweat beginning to soak her face due to physical exertion and the steadily rising heat.

Fortunately, Fire Elementals aren't particularly sturdy, and a strong strike to the gem-like object on its head forced the sentient to dissipate. Unfortunately, there were a lot more where that had come from, and more Elementals began pouring into the clearing.

Ruby looked over to her companions, neither seemed to be faring particularly well, Ash was sweating profusely while engaging a Fury and a Fire Elemental, and Robina was clearly running low on arrows, and was routinely stopping to make her clothes slightly less on fire. She then turned to their enemies, most of the Furies were down, as were several Fire Elementals, but the sounds of crackling and the ever thickening smoke indicated that even more were approaching from the East.

Ruby wiped the sweat from her eyes, "Ash, Robina! We're retreating to Falconreach!"

The two shouted in agreement, before dashing over to her. Sparing one last look at the ever growing mass of monsters, the trio fled Westward. The smoke slowly thickened as they fled, seemingly trying to choke the life from them.

As they fled, the fires in the Eastern skies grew larger and larger, marking the progress of the sea of flames that threatened to burn the city to the ground if the Guardians, townsfolk, and various travelers couldn't hold it back.

* * *

A figure watched the growing flames from a distance, a sadistic smirk etched across his face. "Hmph, it's about time. Seems that brat's about to be put in her place, hopefully an urn."

"Umm boss," a man asked to the figure, "Aren't we gonna raid the city since it's already in danger?"

Drakath turned to the bandit, an irritated frown on his face, "Of course not, you invalid, we've got a much better prize to obtain."

Drakath withdrew a map, pointing to a location he had marked in red, "We're heading here, and we'll take what's mine while the country tries to hold out against Xan. You got that?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good," Drakath smirked even more, twisting his face so much it was somewhat painful, "Now then, let's give those monks a greeting they'll never forget."


	20. Chapter Twenty

**AN: Hello again, and welcome back to Ruby's Lore! I'm your host, ShadowedCalling. Somehow, someway, I passed the 100,000 word mark last chapter, though I'm not sure how much that counts since most of my Author's Notes have been a few hundred words in length.**

 **Anyway, thanks for the reviews last chapter. You guys: guisniperman, Hige the Bearded, Anon, and rammieson are the best.**

 **Anon: Yep, the Wrath of Xan is underway, and a town made of wood can only take so much heat before it burns. Xan himself will be taking center stage soon, and his fiery personality will be a real showstopper. As for Drakath, of course he's being a sneaky little weasel, that's the only way the spiky haired loser can accomplish anything. Though, his accomplishments do tend to be surprisingly tremendous ones.**

 **Guisniperman: You, uh, didn't get the whole AleXANder thing before now? Not sure how you managed that, but whatever. Konnan's reaction the Xan's actions won't start appearing until the end of the war, since that's when he actually has time to respond.**

 **Hige the Bearded: I'm not certain I'd label my fic "dark and gritty," I see it more as a case of removing various game mechanics that make things very easy (like full heal via sleeping or knowing enemy weaknesses right off the bat) and adding a few more realistic interactions as opposed to the occasionally hamfisted dialogue of early DragonFable. That being said, I can't wait to finally reveal Sepulcher, though I'm still working on the exact characterization for him.**

 **Rammieson: No, Ruby won't be unlocking her Semblance or Aura in the future. While I haven't gotten a chance to explore it in story, I plan on having Aura and Mana be roughly the same thing, with highly differentiated usage methods. Basically, Mana is the internal usage of the soul, focusing it through body parts to push them far beyond their usual capabilities, or used through foci to produce magical effects. Aura, on the other hand, will be the external usage of the soul, using its energy to grant a constant boost to physical abilities along with a protective shield. However, this constant, singular use results in Aura being less fluid, and as such only capable of manifesting a single specialized magical effect, or the Semblance. In short, Mana is a powerful active skill that has little influence when not in use and more varied abilities, while Aura is a weaker passive skill that has a constant influence and more rigid abilities. Because of this, Ruby's combat style will be far too Mana reliant for a switch to the Aura methods to be reasonable. As for Crescent Rose, Ruby won't have access to technology capable of creating something like that for a while, and Mana's ability to be used for bursts of strength will render much of her reliance on CR's gun form moot. She'll get scythes, that's for certain, and one in particular will have a similar name, but she won't get Crescent Rose itself.**

 **Now, about your last question, rammieson, no that small bit of soul-bit swapping won't affect Ruby or her dragon that severely. There won't be too many physical changes, though the power of a Silver Eyed Warrior has been, fractured, for lack of a better word. Neither of them will be able to use those powers to their fullest potential, on their own at least. Similarly, Ruby gained the ability to use dragon magic, though to neither the strength nor proficiency of someone like Nythera, who's half-dragon, or even Elysia who has submerged herself in the studies of that sort of thing from a young age. Aside from that, they will develop some personality changes because of the mess Warlic made of their souls, Ruby will be a lot more willing to skip talking and get straight to fighting, and the dragon won't be as prone to destruction due to Ruby's soul diluting some of his more World Destroyer-y tendencies.**

 **And then war broke out, so this chapter is late. Sorry, but I've got Defender's Medals to earn, and that took up all the free time I usually use for writing. So yeah, sorry for the wait, but committing genocide against edgy vampire ghouls was too important. On the plus side, I'm officially a (Fresh) Warmonger.**

 **That was a long AN, like, over 600 words long. Sorry about that. Without further ado, let's get right into the fic!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty

The air was thick with smoke by the time Ruby, Ash, and Robina made it back to Falconreach. Guardians ushered them through the town gates, directing the burned youths towards the inn, which Reens had already converted into an extension of her office. Once they were there, Reens began cleaning their wounds while a distressed Twilly healed what he could.

A distraught Serenity made her way too Ruby's side, "Are you alright, Ruby?"

The redhead nodded, "Yeah, those monsters were just a lot craftier than I expected. I won't make the same mistake next time."

Robina scoffed, "That's what you call 'making a mistake?' I distinctly remember seeing you fly across the clearing while on fire."

Ruby turned away, face somewhat flushed, "I just didn't expect that many things to explode at once, that's all." Ruby stretched a bit once Twilly was finished healing the burns that marred her body, "Besides, we all made it out without any major injuries, so I couldn't have been blown up that badly."

Robina rolled her eyes, "You know, I think you're the only person who can be so flippant about exploding. I'm starting to think you may need a psych evaluation."

Ruby stood up, making sure she still had her weapons on hand, "Don't be stupid, I'm not concerned about exploding because, as far as I can tell, I didn't lose any important pieces when I did."

Serenity gave Ruby a light tap on the head, "Please try not to get too hurt out there Ruby, things are starting to look dangerous."

Ruby smiled confidently at the blonde, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. In between the Guardians, the townsfolk, us, and any reinforcements we get, this'll be a piece of cake."

"I'm not so sure about that," Robina said, "They overran the three of us pretty easily, and their numbers will just keep increasing as more show up."

Ruby chuckled, "Yeah, but there's more of us now too. Geeze, you guys need to lighten up and just fight some monsters. We'll be fine, Falconreach will be fine, everything will be fine."

"And if it's not?"

Robina's question gave Ruby pause. The redhead thought for a moment before shrugging and replying, "Dunno. Guess we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen."

Robina dragged herself to her feet, having closed the holes in her burned clothing, "I can't tell if you're an optimist or an idiot, but either way you're right. The only other option than fighting is to run away, and Robina the Hood isn't some coward who would do that when innocents are on the line."

Ruby grinned at the auburn haired archer, "That's what I like to hear!" Ruby flipped open the bag Cysero gave her, and fished around for her potion bottles. Upon confirming that they were all full and unbroken, she turned to Robina and said "I'll be heading out to help the Guardians, you check with Reens about potions and see if Yuglar can supply you with arrows."

Robina rolled her eyes, "Since when were you the boss?" She then smirked playfully and said, "I doubt that someone so short could be all that high on the totem pole, after all."

Ruby stuck her tongue out defiantly, "I'm not that short! Besides, I'm still growing, it's just taking a while."

Robina chuckled, "And what will you do if you don't get any taller?"

"I'll just get a tall hat so I look like I did anyway."

With her ingenious plan of 'Get tall hat' confirmed, Ruby made her way towards the exit to the inn, and into the smoky streets of Falconreach.

* * *

Ruby didn't take long to join the group of Guardians and adventurers who had formed a defensive block just outside the Eastern entrance to Falconreach, and were engaging the first waves of advancing fire monsters. Blades and spells flashed through the air, impacting the various creatures and elementals who had dared to invade the small but surprisingly battle-happy town.

Ruby was quick to lob a throwing knife into the gem-like foci of an approaching Fire Elemental, causing it to dissolve into raw mana. Several nearby adventurers gave her shouts of approval as they disposed of a few monsters themselves. One impaled a Fury on his Longsword before launching it towards one of its fellows while a Mage blasted a large shard of ice into an approaching Flamewing, freezing the dark red bat solid.

Ruby dodged out of the way of an approaching fireball, before dashing forward to stab the offending elemental. However, her attempted counter attack was foiled by the sudden appearance of a massive, molten fist. Ruby shrieked as the burning hand impacted her, throwing her to the ground.

The deceptively small Lava Glob raised its massive arm again to hammer it into the downed redhead. However, a quick blast of magic from a nearby Mage downed the Lava Glob. Ruby thanked the woman before dragging herself to her feet and returning the favor by knifing the Flamewing that was about to stab its fangs into the back of the Mage's neck.

Ruby and the Mage grinned at each other as they continued fighting side-by-side, slashing, freezing, and otherwise slaying monsters while watching each other's backs. Eventually, the armored male who impaled the Fury earlier joined the two by kicking a Flamewing out of the air and stabbing into a Lava Glob, forcing the small elemental to collapse into a puddle.

"Hmph, looks like you two are hogging all the fun over here," he said as he blocked a wave of exploding feathers, "Hope you don't mind one more."

The mage smirked at him, raising a shield of magical energy to block a gout of flames from a brightly glowing Inferno Elemental, "That depends, think you can carry more weight than just that tin can you're wearing?"

"More than Short Stack over there," he grinned back at her, jabbing his thumb at a slightly offended Ruby.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'll be getting taller soon!" Ruby threw knife into the open beak of a screeching Fury, "Besides, I'm stronger than I look."

"Not the most observant though," the Warrior said as he punched an approaching Flamewing out from behind her, "You may want to work on that one."

Ruby paled slightly before throwing a smoke pellet behind him and dragging the man out of the way of a semi-molten arm that slammed into the ground where he was standing, "So could you, apparently," she said, before glaring at the towering golem had attacked them.

The new Bassault roared as it charged the trio, arms spewing lava as it went. The Mage responded by producing a gale of wind that pushed it back and slowed its charge, "Isn't this the thing that attacked town earlier?"

Ruby nodded as she stabbed a Fury that tried to impale its talons into the distracted Mage. "Yeah, I was really hoping that there wouldn't be more of these though. I can't fight it unless we cool it off first."

"Too hot for you to handle, huh? Don't worry Short Stack, I can keep a cool head, and an even cooler sword," The Warrior then withdrew a smooth, curved sword that was made of a glimmering blue material. He stabbed his blade into the Bassault's chest, eliciting a roar of pain from the golem and a blast of steam from the rapidly cooling lava.

The Mage followed up with a large burst of ice, cooling much of the golem's body and reducing its fiery aura from a blazing heat to a slight warmth.

The Bassault let out a pained bellow as its rapidly cooling body cracked under the pressure of its forced movements. It made to strike out at the Mage who's attack nearly immobilized it, but was stopped by Ruby.

Ruby threw herself forward, arms cocked back and Seafangs at the ready. She stabbed her arms forward, reinforcing them with mana and forcefully shattering the golem's neck and severing its head. The construct of stone and lava toppled to the ground in a pile, smoking slightly.

Before any of the three could catch their breath, they were set upon once again by more of the elementals and avians that had made the town their target. "Geez, these things really want to burn Falconreach to the ground," the Mage shouted as she conjured a gale of wind to blow a small flock of approaching Flamewings away.

"Seriously," the Warrior grunted as he used his body to shield the Mage from Fury, "I've never seen monsters so aggravated that they'd migrate like this before." He then swung his sword, severing the Fury's head.

Ruby ducked under a jet of molten rock that was sent her way by a Lava Glob and shouted, "I just don't get why they're coming here! Why Falconreach of places? We're right next to the bay, so it's not like it would be a good place for them to live."

The Warrior nodded in agreement, "It is quite odd."

The Mage launched a volley of lightning bolts through a flock of Furies, "A better question is why are there so many! In all my years of travel I've never seen this many monsters of different classifications gather together into a single unit."

Ruby dodged away from a torrent of flames that a trio of elementals, one Inferno and Fire, shot her way, before shattering the left Fire Elemental's gem, dispelling it. "I'd have thought fire monsters would naturally be together, is it not like that?"

The Mage shook her head, "No, it's very unusual to see Furies, who are normally found in tropical forests, Flamewings, who are fond of caves, and elementals, who can be just about anywhere, working together. Elementals aren't known to migrate, and the other two shouldn't have any contact."

The Warrior scoffed as he grabbed a Fury by the leg and used it as a makeshift club against its fellows, "Does it matter why? Or how? As it stands, they're enemies, plain and simple. So, we should just fight them!"

The Mage rolled her eyes, "Don't be a brute! Understanding why these things are attacking could help us repel them, or at least prevent another attack like this!"

As the two began bickering, Ruby cut in, "Shouldn't we focus more on fighting the monsters than fighting each other?" When she didn't get an answer, she turned around to look at them, "Guys?"

"SHIT!" Suddenly, a massive wave of feathers impacted the area near them, shattering the ground and launching the trio into the air. Ruby impacted the ground, her head ringing and skin tingling with first degree burns.

She struggled to her feet, patting out the various smoldering fires that dotted her clothes. She looked around, looking for her companions, smoke stinging her eyes as she did so.

However, try as she might, Ruby could no longer make out the forms of the two adventurers who had been fighting alongside. They had been lost into the slowly thickening smoke. Ruby lept backwards, trying to get her bearings, realizing that she couldn't quite make out where she was.

Ruby moved back towards the sounds of combat, Seafangs at the ready as she prepared to rejoin the line of combatants. Through the smoke, Ruby spotted a Fire Elemental that was preparing to slam its flaming fist into the head of a staggering Guardian.

Ruby surged forward, impaling the elemental and dispelling it before it could land a hit on the unfortunate Guardian, who Ruby ironically recognized as Fortuna. The female Guardian thanked her as she regained her balance, "Thanks Ruby, things would have gotten real bad real fast had you not stepped in."

Ruby smiled back at the Guardian, "No problem, glad I could help."

Fortuna raised her Guardian Blade, its jagged edge gleaming in the glow of the surrounding flames "Well, that's enough talk for now, let's get back to fending off these beasts!" With that she engaged a group of nearby Furies, slashing at them with her sword.

Shouting in agreement, Ruby lashed out at a trio of elementals, A Fire Elemental, Inferno elemental, and a large Lava Glob. Ruby rushed forward, twirling her daggers in her hands before stabbing into the Fire Elemental's gem. She then dodged out of the way of a pressurized jet of lava that was launched off by the Lava Glob.

Before Ruby could retaliate, the Inferno Elemental followed up its ally's attack with a burning fist to the chest. Ruby screamed as the searing heat set her armor ablaze and threw her back into the ashen dirt. The fall managed to put out her burning equipment, but also left her open to the Lava Glob's molten fist as it crashed towards her.

At the last second, a male Guardian wielding a bulkier set of armor than his comrades stepped in, using his shield to block the attack. He swung his dark grey Guardian Blade multiple times, reducing the Lava Glob to a puddle, then he turned on the Inferno Elemental, shattering its foci with a shield bash and dispelling it.

"You alright," he asked, hefting his shield to better defend the downed girl behind him.

Ruby groaned as she pushed herself to her feet, "Yeah, I'm fine. A little crispier than I'd like, but I'll live."

The Guardian nodded, "Good. Be more cautious out here, a single misstep could end your life, understood?"

Ruby grimaced, but nodded in acceptance, "Got it." She lifted her Seafangs and struck out at an oncoming Fury, knocking it out of the air.

The Guardian suddenly burst into movement, once again moving in front of Ruby to block a flurry of explosive feathers from the Fury's friends. As the incendiary quills impacted his shield, the man turned to Ruby and said, "What part of 'be more cautious' sounded like 'piss of a flock of Furies?'"

Ruby crossed her arms and grumbled, "The part where I was gonna take them out one at a time. This really isn't a situation where I can just pick and choose enemies, what with us needing to take down as many as possible."

The Guardian scowled, "Hmph, there shouldn't even be a 'we.' Avatars know why the others are letting someone as young as yourself fight in a battle like this."

"Hey! I can fight along with everyone else if I choose to! Falconreach is my home, and I have every right to help defend it." Ruby punctuated her claim by charging forward, jumping onto the surprised Guardian's shield, and kicking off it, gaining the air she needed to easily down a flock of Flamewings who were trying to fly over the line of warriors and burn the town to the ground.

When Ruby landed, she turned and smirked at the man, "See, I'm more than capable of fighting with everyone else."

The Guardian gave her a flat look, "So was landing right next to that Bassault also part of your idea to prove who capable you were, or was that an accident?"

Ruby barely had time to pale before another one of the semi-molten golems introduced itself by backhanding her into Grams's Pet Shop, whose wall immediately caved in when she impacted it. Fortunately, Grams and Aria had already taken the various animals and retreated to the Guardian Tower. Unfortunately, they left all sorts of items and tools for Ruby to painfully crash into when she went through their wall.

"I'm," Ruby coughed slightly, feeling some pain in her ribs as she did so, "really gonna need to apologize to Grams for that wall." She looked around the abandoned Pet Shop, "And everything else, apparently."

Ruby stood shakily to her feet, knowing she'd have a lot of trouble dealing with the Bassault without access to water or a mage who knew ice/water magic. Her eyes eventually fell on a large pitchfork Grams used to move hay and straw for her larger animals. Ruby smirked as she grabbed the large farm tool, "I guess I'll need to apologize for this one too."

Ruby painfully pulled herself from the damaged Pet Shop and looked around for the Bassault who smacked her away from the battle. She quickly found it and the Guardian fighting, the Guardian's shield glowing brightly as it blasted the golem with a burst of light magic, temporarily blinding the monster.

The man swept in, his grey Guardian Blade easily carving through the molten parts of the Bassault's left arm and severing it from the main body. The golem roared in pain, rearing back its right arm to fire a burst of molten rock at its assailant. Suddenly, a three pronged piece of metal slammed into its neck, cracking the more solid portions of its body and piercing through the more molten ones.

Ruby grinned as she threw all her weight onto the Pitchfork's handle, using it like a lever to pull up on the Bassault's head and tearing it from the rest of its body.

The Bassault crumbled to the ground, a now semi-melted pitchfork laying beside it. Ruby turned to the Guardian and grinned at him, "You're welcome."

The man gave her an unimpressed look, "You do realize that I had that creature, right?" He gave her a once over, frowning as he did so, "Also, you're beginning to bleed. A lot. You should probably return to the med station."

Ruby began to argue against his point, but winced when she felt something warm and wet run down her side, which was slowly turning a dark red. "Yeah. I guess that wall did more to me than I thought."

The Guardian sighed and grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder, much to Ruby's displeasure. "Come on. The sooner I get you to Reens, the sooner I can get back to fighting. The man ignored the redhead's protests all the way to Falconreach Inn.

* * *

After getting her cracked ribs and open wounds patched up by Twilly, an activity that took about an hour, Ruby was ready to return to the frontlines. She burst back into the smoke filled streets of Falconreach and almost instantly ran into a blonde wall of steel.

"Hehe, good to see you're still kicking, Ruby," Rolith chuckled as he caught the stumbling redhead.

"Ouch," she grumbled as she held her slowly bruising forehead, "Hey Rolith, what are you doing here?"

The blonde rose an eyebrow at the redhead, "What, did you think Falconreach could get attacked by an army of fire monsters and the nearby knight outpost _wouldn't_ get involved? I brought most of my knights to help, and sent a couple to request King Alteon for help."

Ruby smiled up at him, "Well, glad to have more help then. I've already been slapped through the Pet Shop, so any help is appreciated."

Rolith flicked her in the forehead, eliciting a yelp from the younger girl. "I bet you just got back from having broken bones mended then, didn't you." At Ruby's nod Rolith groaned "This is why I keep telling you to wear actual armor."

Ruby pouted, "I can't move as quickly in big clunky armor though."

"You don't need to move all that quickly if you can actually survive getting hit."

"Yeah, but you also hit harder if you move in quickly."

"Or you could just do actual exercise and weight training so you can actually hit hard without charging in first."

"How dare you, I exercise plenty."

Rolith scoffed and grabbed one of Ruby's lightly muscled arms "These things are pretty thin, Ruby. Do you even do pushups?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, "Why would I. Weapons are a lot heavier than I do, so messing with them lets me lift me more weight."

"Pushups are about more than weight lifting. That's why weight lifting is a different type of exercise."

Sir Valence approached the playfully bickering duo and coughed awkwardly, "Umm, guys, there's still a war going on. Could you resume this lecture later?"

"Right, right." Rolith rolled his shoulders and hefted his Warhammer, "Come on Ruby, let's see if your 'exercise' is nearly as effective as you claim it is." Upon seeing Ruby unsheath her Seafangs, he snorted, "On second thought, those dinky little daggers of yours are proof enough that it isn't."

Ruby growled, "I've got a sword. It's just not very helpful since everything here is already on fire."

Rolith chuckled, "Just a sword? Let me guess, it's a short, one handed thing."

"That's it. I'll show you how strong I really am!" Ruby charged off to the heat of battle, daggers unsheathed and ready to strike down the flaming monsters.

Rolith grinned, hefting his own weapon and charging in behind her, "Time to see just how much she's grown."

The two joined the frontline and furiously began striking out at the invading fire monsters, Ruby's daggers gleaming dangerously in the firelight as the tore through enemies. Rolith's hammer similarly glinted as it smashed into monsters, crushing them under its weight.

Ruby practically flew across the battlefield as she stabbed every enemy she could reach, determined to prove to Rolith that she was perfectly capable of fighting on his level. Various adventurers soon increased the speed of their own combat, determined to not be outshone by a young girl.

Determined shouts rang out across the area as the combatants further stoked the flames of war. Ruby herself let out a shout as she impaled a Fury before kicking it into its fellows. Before they could recover, Ruby pounced on them, cutting them before they could launch any of their explosive feathers.

Ruby turned to lock onto more enemies when a massive stone fist slammed into her face. She felt her cheekbone crack as she was launched through the air and slammed into the ground. Yet another Bassault made a beeline for the downed redhead, only for it to receive a powerful hammer blow to the face courtesy of Rolith.

The blonde knight-captain threw his weight into another crushing blow, shattering two of the golem's legs under his weapon and crippling it. Before the monster could try to recover, he followed up by spinning on his heel and smashing his Warhammer into the face of the Bassault, shattering it into semi-molten fragments.

Rolith quickly moved over to Ruby, helping her up. "You alright," he asked, eyeing her rapidly swelling cheek, "That was a nasty hit you took."

"Yeh," Ruby mumbled, her voice somewhat muffled by the injury, "'M fine, dis ish nofin'"

"You don't sound fine."

"M fine, trusht me."

Rolith sighed, "Ruby, please just go get your jaw realigned. You don't want that sort of injury worsening, or setting, or really doing anything but healing correctly."

Ruby tried to glare at him, but considering she couldn't quite tell which of the three blondes was the real one, she settled for listening to his request and staggering off in the general direction of Falconreach Inn.

* * *

Ruby returned to battle an hour later, her cheek still bruised but no longer swelling, her jaw now working correctly, and her vision no longer swirling. As Ruby rejoined the line, fighting a tad more cautiously after having her bell rung, she noticed that the fighters had been pushed back.

The line had been slowly pushed back for the duration of the war so far, but it had finally reached the point where Grams's Pet Shop, the Easternmost building in Falconreach, had been set alight and was slowly being consumed by flames. Burning straw, hay, and feed could be seen through the Ruby-shaped hole in the wall.

Ruby and the rest of the town's defenders continued fighting against the fire monsters. For hours they continued holding the line, only ever breaking to eat, heal, and occasionally rest, all of them doing so in shifts so that the line was never broken.

For a time, it seemed that Falconreach's defenders would be able to pull through, that the fires would not spread beyond Grams's Pet Shop. Then, the Western sky exploded in light, smoke billowed up from the distance, an ominous glow lighting it up from beneath. Soon, the sounds of crackling wood could be heard from the Western edge of town, heralding the coming firestorm.


End file.
